Maxwell
by h.lovely
Summary: Several years after the war, on the streets of Earth, Duo Maxwell is pulled out of his reclusive life by an old comrade seeking help with a murder conspiracy. - "If that were you, wouldn't you feel a little disgruntled if the rest of us just ignored it and moved on?" "If that were me, I wouldn't be feeling disgruntled. I wouldn't be feeling anything. I'd be dead." - 1x2(x5), 3x4
1. Free From All The Picture Perfect

**Disclaimer:** I don't own a thing, except for the words I've written.

The image used for this story is _not_ my own in any way. It belongs to _artofcarmen_ (Deviantart). I was inspired to craft my story around this amazing art piece.

**A/N:** Very loosely based off of Lee Child's novel, _Bad Luck and Trouble_. Written from Duo Maxwell's perspective, though still in third person, with a stream of consciousness style. Rated for adult language (Duo's got quite a surly mouth and mind), some violence, and mild adult themes. Each title is inspired by a song, listed at the beginning of each chapter.

Will update on Sundays and sometimes Wednesdays when possible. Chapters are not terribly long and I'm not planning to write them terribly long.

Enjoy.

* * *

**Maxwell**

**Chapter 1: Free From All The Picture Perfect**

_Photograph - The Verve Pipe_

The lean and slightly intoxicated twenty-one year old sauntered down the street with an arrogance that seemed to portray him to the world as someone important, but in all actuality he was just an asshole who projected confidence because that's how you get what you want in a world like this.

It had been four years since the war and still he hadn't grown up, hadn't found a place to settle, hadn't committed to anything except maybe the idea that he should probably _be_ committed. He wasn't crazy in the contextual sense, but in the 'fucked up and emotionally disconnected' sense. But hell, he didn't really care; he liked being fucking unpredictable in that predictable sort of way.

"Shit," he muttered under sultry breath, as a throb assaulted his skull. He reached up to touch an old injury he'd gotten after abandoning the only person who ever actually cared about him in a hospital on X-18999. It was some kind of fucked up karma for running out when things got shitty.

He'd been caught in an explosion, a terrorist bomb on one of the vague colonies he'd been hiding out on. Half his scalp had been removed from the bonds of his skull and though his braid still hung down his back, most of the right side of his head was shaved in an oddly attractive way due to the fiery explosion. Shit fuckin' painful, but he figured he'd had some kind of twisted good luck that his whole head hadn't been blown off. So now he had these gnarly scars and his hair wouldn't grow right in some places, thus the new look was born.

Karma didn't want to kill him, just fucking maim him and take away part of the thing he valued most. Fuckin' karma.

He thought about Heero in that damn hospital bed, Relena hovering over him like the worried mother he never had. It made him sick to think about. He'd run from place to place afterwards, hence the never settling. The war was over, the Gundams were gone, no one needed him anymore except maybe Quatre, but that was only because he was compassionate and selfish and wanted his friends to stay close. But he wasn't a 'stay close' kinda guy.

He'd crashed at Hilde's for a while, but when she'd gotten tired of his incessant dirtiness and the fact that he couldn't afford to pay rent she'd told him to get the fuck out. Every once in a while he heard from her, there was still a sense of vague friendship, but there was never another invitation. Though he wouldn't have stayed much longer anyways, it wasn't in his nature to stay anywhere for too long. Being a lonely, reckless vagabond and all that shit.

So he'd stayed under the radar and drank and smoked and did all of the shit he knew he shouldn't do, but the temptation was there so he took it. Got his mind off the nightmares and memories at least.

Duo Maxwell fished in the pocket of his black, leather jacket and pulled out the key to his hotel room. It took him a moment to focus and open the door, his muscles moving slower than his mind from the amount of whiskey doubles he'd gulped down over the last couple hours. Maybe not the best fuckin' choice. He felt his stomach lurch quietly as he thought about it.

When he entered the dark room he walked forward to turn on the lamp he knew to be standing next to the squeaky full bed, but his toe caught on something sitting just within the doorway. "Fuck."

He caught himself and dropped down to see what had caused him to nearly fall face first into the room's questionable carpet. His eyes found it first, moonlight from the still open doorway illuminating a rectangular manila envelope that had been slid under the door. Duo picked it up and it felt heavy, but it was still thin enough to have fit in the small crack between floor and door. His name was scrawled in dark block letters across the envelope. _Maxwell_.

"What the fuck?"

No one knew he was there. Hell, he barely knew he was there after all the benders he'd been going on lately. And besides he wasn't a moron; he'd checked in under a false name like he did everywhere in the ESUN. So where the fuck had this envelope come from?

The buzz he'd been feeling earlier had all but dissipated now that his mind was working on overdrive. Duo closed the door and turned on the light he'd been trying for before falling over the mysterious package. He sat down on the bed, cross legged, his braided hair falling over his shoulder.

Slowly, with more apprehension than he'd felt in a long time, he pinched the clasp on the back of the envelope and ran his thumb under the top to peel it open.

"Fucking shit..." He poured out the package's contents on the bed in front of him.

Photographs. Big ones that had been blown up to really capture every detail. They were all there, all five of them. Some of the pictures were from years ago, their faces younger, different in some ways but yet still the same as the newer images. They were all marked with a date, the last one having been taken not more than three weeks ago. There were random pairings and trios and some of all of them together. The newer ones were more solitary; they'd lost contact with each other over the years, it made sense, they were all on their own now.

But there was one in particular that made Duo's heart catch in his throat. His body was leaning against Heero's in a way that was all too fucking familiar for him. It was dark and he couldn't remember where they were or what was happening to make them think they weren't being followed. Obviously they were, obviously their was fucking photographic evidence. Duo was smiling in the picture, smiling at the stone-faced boy in a provoking manner, something he'd always done, but this time it had been different. There was no direct sign of affection in the still photograph that tauntingly stared up at him. But it was there, Duo saw it and he realized that others might too if they looked hard enough. The way they stood there, bodies touching ever so slightly, an emotional tension between them.

Duo felt the bile rising in his throat and with as much dexterity as he could manage he ran to the bathroom and was sick until all that was left was the pain of dry heaves.

"Dammit." He ran a hand over his face, feeling the sweat of stress and sickness that had accumulated on his forehead. Those pictures. _Shit_.

Carefully he stood and turned on the sink, splashing cold water over his features, trying hard to calm the muscles that were now twitching within his body. Those pictures. _Fuck_.

What kind of vindictive, sick fucking asshole sends pictures of a guy and people he knew in another life to said guy, someone who is, for all intents and purposes, dead to the world?

He wasn't sure how long he'd been standing there, staring at his pale reflection in the mirror above the faucet that still had a steady stream of cold water flowing out of it, when a knock on the door caused him to jump.

No one was supposed to know he was fucking here and he was starting to get pissed off. It was predictable, but he still looked out the peephole. Of all possible people of course it'd be him, he was a Preventer after all. Duo may run and hide and never tell a lie and all that bullshit, but you can't hide from the fucking Preventers.

"Wufei fuckin' Chang." He opened the door and gave a roguish smile. "You couldn't just leave me alone to wallow in self pity the rest of my goddamn life, could you?"

His humor was dry, but less poignant than he would have liked. But he'd just thrown up his guts, hadn't he? Realizing that he must look like shit, he ran fingers through his chestnut bangs as Wufei stared at him in that cold, classic Wufei way.

Duo had forgotten that the photographs were still strewn about the bed, but when the Chinese man pushed past him he bit his tongue, inwardly yelling at himself for being so stupid and careless.

There was no stopping it now. No matter the reason for Wufei's untimely and unannounced visit, they were now going to be talking about those damn pictures. No way around it.

"Wasn't that a thoughtful little gift?" Duo asked, slamming the door and watching the man as he eyed the pile of glossy images.

"Who sent you these?"

"Fuck if I know."

"What are they?"

Duo raised his brows with a mischievous grin. Always fuckin' mischievous, even now in his 'old age.' "Ain't you ever seen a photograph before, 'Fei?"

Wufei turned towards him with a glower. "I mean what is their purpose?"

"I'll say it again, fuck if I know." He watched as Wufei stared at the photograph of himself and Heero; his stomach tightened.

"Listen 'Fei, they were waiting for me when I got home. If I had anymore answers don't you think I'd tell you?" He wanted to get the man's attention away from the particularly personal image. Hell, he knew everyone was aware of him and Heero, but, you know, it was still kind of an intimate picture.

"This is home?" Wufei looked around, unimpressed and it made Duo's brows furrow.

"Does that surprise you? No judginess from Mr. Perfect Preventer Man, okay? Save it." Part of Duo wanted the man to respond with something more, he wanted the banter that he secretly sometimes missed. Wufei said nothing.

Instead he picked up a photograph, one of the few that included all five of them, and stared at it with a soft irritation. They were sitting aboard Peacemillion. Duo noticed how irritated Wufei also looked in the image and it made him laugh internally. The man's disposition hadn't fucking changed.

Both of their eyes studied the picture together. It looked as if it were taken from an old security feed. They hadn't all been in a room like that, together, in a long fucking time. Nowadays they all had their own lives, or at least they tried to call them lives.

Quatre was the one who had everything, at least when it came to wealth and stature and respect. He also had death threats and probably the most stressful job out of the group, but shit if he wasn't still the most compassionate and level headed. Duo hadn't talked to him in person in a long time, but seeing him in the newspapers and on television gave him the feeling that he still knew the man well.

Trowa he was less sure of. The last he'd heard of him he was still traveling through the ESUN doing the whole high wire act thing. He hid himself well, but always kept the name Barton, which made Duo think that maybe a small part of him wanted to be found if absolutely essential. After the war, the man had been offered a job with the Preventers, like they all had, but he'd declined it, probably in a more appropriate way than Duo had. But hell, it was a hilarious fucking conversation, how was he supposed to know they were serious?

It never surprised him much that Wufei, good ole honorable 'Fei, was the one to actually accept the job. Though he suspected it may have had something to do with the whole guilt thing from the Mariemaia fuck up. But Duo didn't care much to get into that argument as much as he'd always enjoyed their running dialogue. Stubborn and quick witted as they both were, it was usually pretty fucking entertaining.

And then there was Heero. Shit, he had a hard time looking at that old picture, set somewhere in between angry flirtation, denial, and casual sex. They could pilot giant machines of death, but they couldn't reconcile stupid, probably meaningless feelings. He hadn't seen Heero since the hospital and God only knows where that recluse had been all these years.

The only pilot Duo had any contact with had been Wufei and that was just because the Preventers never seemed to quite let him out of their insecure sites. He guessed they probably thought he might start blowing stuff up or causing chaos somewhere. Hell, the only chaos he caused was in his own fucking life and in his own fucking mind.

He looked up at Wufei and actually noticed him for the first time since he'd knocked on the hotel room door. He looked fit, maybe even more so than during the war. The Preventer uniform suited him and he looked professional and maybe a little older than the last time he'd seen him. Duo wasn't sure when that had been, but time wasn't really something he cared to keep track of these days. He wore a nice watch, seemed comfortably well off, and still held himself with that air of quiet superiority that always made Duo cringe.

For a moment the braided man felt awkward about his own disheveled clothing and the fact that his hair might have been a bit messier than usual. He normally had no one to look good for, so what the hell did he care? But here, in front of this old comrade, he felt somehow inadequate, like 'Fei was making it and he wasn't.

Duo cleared his throat. "So to what do I owe this pleasure?"

Wufei had been studying the ordinary manila envelope, addressed too specifically for either of their likings. He looked up. "I think you may want to sit down for this, Maxwell."

Duo laughed. "Geeze, who died?" .

Wufei didn't move, didn't flinch a damn muscle, just stared that blank stare like he couldn't even understand why Duo would be making jokes right now. Swallowing hard, the braided man sat. No more fucking jokes.

When the words left his mouth Duo had the worst impulse to laugh again, though he didn't because Wufei was being all business and seriousness as improbable as his statement could possibly be. A ringing began in his head as the words echoed back through his ears.

"Heero Yuy is dead."

_No shit_.


	2. This Is The Life Of Illusion

**Disclaimer:** I don't own a thing (as sad as that realization is), except for the words I've written.

**Warnings:** Rated for adult language (Duo's got quite a surly mouth and mind), some violence, and mild adult themes.

**A/N:** I have decided to start updating on Wednesdays as well as Sundays when I can, so be on the lookout for more frequent updates. Please leave a review if you are so inclined, I'd _love_ to know what you think of this story so far. So without further ado, here's Chapter 2.

* * *

**Maxwell**

**Chapter 2: This Is The Life of Illusion**

_Grease - Frankie Valli_

In life Heero Yuy had been barley smaller than Duo, but damned if he wasn't more powerful than the entire lot of them. He was thin yet muscular, ordinary yet roguishly handsome. He had been cold, reckless, and detached. There was no fucking way to kill him during the war and there certainly was no fucking way to kill him now.

Duo sat across from Wufei at a diner of his choosing, a place that the Preventer certainly seemed to have a distaste for, which probably ended up being the main reason in choosing it. The sun had been up for little over an of hour. Wufei had instructed that the man get some sleep, but the bags under Duo's eyes suggested that he hadn't heeded the advice very well. But hell, what did he expect? Fuckin' Shinigami at it again. _Heero Yuy is dead_. That's the kind of news you give a guy at one o'clock in the morning?

It was true that Duo hadn't seen Heero in three years, but shit, looking down at the autopsy photograph set out on the sticky table top before him, he didn't even look like the person he had known during the war. His body was stiff and flat on the table in an unnatural way. The camera's flash had bleached his skin an ominous shade that made Duo's empty stomach cringe.

Shit fuckin' awful.

But then again, dead people do often tend to look pretty awful.

"Why do you have this?" Duo asked.

"It's my case," Wufei replied.

There was a pause of silence. "But don't you need like _perspective_ or something? He was-well he was-"

"He was one of us," Wufei filled in the blank. "I was asked to investigate because of that."

Shit, of course he was one of them, but that didn't mean they needed to get all nostalgic and get the gang back together just because one of them was now dead laying in some Preventer morgue somewhere. They should have probably all died on many different occasions during the war, so why would it matter now? He felt a lump in his throat.

"Where was he found?"

"About thirty miles out of Sanc. A field, nothing unusual, nothing for miles, about a hundred yards off the main road. No footprints." Wufei was succinct in his description. Fucking Preventer protocol and all.

"What, was he just dropped out of thin fuckin' air?" Duo was getting impatient. His exterior indifference and interior denial were starting to crumble. He wanted answers though he knew Wufei didn't have them. Obviously he didn't. Obviously that's why he was here.

The question was ignored. "I need your help."

"My _help_?" Duo was actually taken aback. Mr. Big Shot Preventer Man needed his help. That was a first.

"You were the closest to him."

"That was a long time ago, 'Fei."

"Preventer is willing to compensate you for your services. A contract to hire deal." Wufei seemed almost desperate and it made Duo smirk.

"I already told Une when she came lookin' for me that I am _not_ Preventer material."

"No one's forcing you to take the job. But now, with those pictures you were sent, this might be bigger than we think."

Duo knew what he meant. They'd already sent the photographs in to be analyzed. Someone had been following them, documenting their every move. Someone out to get them, blackmail them...murder them. Fuck, they'd already skipped the initial steps, they'd already murdered Heero.

He sighed, trying not to think about the autopsy report and Heero's cold skin and the way they leaned on each other in that old picture. "You think it's related?"

Wufei looked down at the table. "Could be. We can't assume, we can't speculate." Good old 'Fei, taking the joy out of everything. Speculation was something Duo was good at.

The waitress came and their conversation paused as she unloaded her tray. Duo stabbed his fork at a piece of practically cremated bacon and used his other hand to pull the autopsy closer to him for a better look. His stomach had finally settled, but he realized by Wufei's quirk of an eyebrow that maybe it was weird to eat and look at the dead body of his comrade. Ex-comrade that is. But, shit, he was hungry.

Wufei held his steaming cup of tea by the handle and gave it a blow. "Two Preventers found the body. They said it was like he had fallen from the sky. The autopsy report seems to align with that idea."

Duo squinted his eyes. The body certainly resembled Heero Yuy, but there was something about it that didn't sit well with him. Maybe it was the thought of the perfect solider free falling, flailing through the air. But he'd self destructed, been shot, jumped out of a fucking hospital window. How could he be dead now, after all of that?

"ID was made through his fingerprints," Wufei added.

Beginning to skim the report, Duo barley heard him as his attention was on something else. "This says he fell from a shuttle." It was a statement and Wufei nodded.

Duo shook his head. "But it couldn't have been. A shuttle has a stall speed of, what? A hundred miles an hour? He'd have come out the door fast, hit the tail or the wing or some shit." It was amazing how smart the man could be when he actually applied himself.

Wufei stared at him in realization. "A helicopter then? Stationary hover."

Duo looked back down at the autopsy picture. He studied the man's arms, chest, legs. There were signs of the impact, but very few. Heero's body had been pretty fucking advanced he guessed.

And then he saw it, or rather didn't see it. His eyes studied a spot just above the man's hip bone in the little muscular recess Duo's lips had been rather acquainted with once upon a time. Heero had a scar there, it was long and jagged and one of the only scars the ex-pilot actually managed to have. Distinguishing to the point that it gave Duo a shiver to think of it. But the cold, dead body he stared at in that photograph had not one single scar.

"This isn't him."

Wufei looked up with calm eyes. "The fingerprints say otherwise."

"That's not fucking him. I'm telling you." Maybe Duo was just falling back on denial, but shit he knew the man better than anyone, as much as he might deny it to Wufei. He knew every curve, every inch of him and he knew for damn sure that that body on the table couldn't be Heero Yuy.

Shaking his head slowly from side to side Wufei just kept staring at him.

"Look, dammit, do you want my help or not, 'Fei?" Duo was getting mad. At the situation, at Wufei, at the Preventers for fucking tracking him all these years. And for what? So when someone that was supposed to be Heero got murdered they could try to enlist him? No fucking thank you.

"I want your help." Wufei seemed slightly quieter, like Duo's outburst had made him decide to change tactics. "If this isn't Heero Yuy then who is it and why does he possess Yuy's fingerprints?"

Duo looked at him for a moment before answering, his demeanor softer now. "I sure wish I could answer that question right now, 'Fei."

"There's something we need to do," Wufei said. Duo hated how he could still be so cryptic and make people hang on his every word and shit.

But still, Duo bit. "What do we need to do, Mr. Preventer Man?"

"We need to get the pilots back together."

* * *

They sat in the back of a nondescript car traveling back towards Wufei's swanky, Preventer expense's hotel. A man, also nondescript, was driving them which made Duo feel oddly ostentatious; he didn't like other people having to do things for him that he himself was perfectly capable of. But shit, it didn't seem like Wufei had a problem with it.

A duffel bag with the few important items that Duo carried around with him sat on the floor by his feet. There were a couple of guns and a switchblade in there somewhere and Wufei didn't ask about them because it was obvious he already knew. Hell, he always knew.

"Someone murdered Yuy. We can't just let it go." Wufei had been lecturing him since the moment they'd paid the check at the seedy diner.

"Someone got murdered, but it sure as hell wasn't Heero." Duo smiled. There was that little vein he remembered so fondly popping out of Wufei's forehead. They still hadn't quite been able to see eye to eye on the whole fraudulent autopsy situation.

Wufei clenched his teeth. "Let's just say, for all intents and purposes, that the body does belong to Yuy. If that were you, wouldn't you feel a little disgruntled if the rest of us just ignored it and moved on with our lives?"

"If that were me, I wouldn't be feeling disgruntled. I wouldn't be feeling anything. I'd be dead." He may have still been in shock by the lack of sleep and bizarre turn of events, but damned if Duo wasn't going to answer stupid questions with stupid sarcastic remarks.

His response was a rough sigh. "You get my point, Maxwell."

Duo wondered for a moment why Wufei was suddenly so concerned the with well being of the people he hadn't been in contact with since the war. He'd always been a lone wolf, hell looking back at those photographs he was barely in any of them. Maybe the whole peace keeping Preventer shit had made him turn over a new leaf.

"I can handle it," Duo said. "Maybe _we_ can handle it. But we can't all just drop what we're doing and come back together as much fun as that little reunion would be. It'll never work."

Wufei replied quickly, "We need them."

"Why?"

"Because, even if Yuy is somehow still alive, someone out there was trying to kill him. And maybe not just him, maybe not just you or me. Those photographs were of all of us."

Duo had to admit that 'Fei had a pretty damn good point. The picture thing was spooky and maybe one of the others would know where to find Heero. The real Heero.

"Quatre, or even Trowa, should have been easier to find than me." Shit, Quatre was practically famous in the ESUN, how hard could it be to find him? Trowa, on the other hand, made a little more sense.

Wufei shook his head. "I can't reach either of them. I've left a dozen messages on the only number listed for Trowa Barton and Quatre's secretary is probably sick of my voice with how many times I've requested a call back."

Duo decided he was kinda glad he didn't carry a phone with him. Damn inconvenient sometimes, but most of the time he liked being completely off the grid.

Five pilots. How difficult could it be to get five people back together? Duo knew specifically where two of them were: traveling down I-78 in New Jersey. That only left three, or two if they weren't counting Heero. But Duo was definitely counting Heero.

The sound of Wufei's cell phone interrupted their thoughts. He answered curtly, said few things other than some "yes's" and "I see's" and then hung up. He turned to Duo. "Preventer got a call about a break in at a bank in Stockholm. Happened last night. Nothing was stolen, not a single dime, the only thing missing was the contents of a safe deposit box." He stared for a moment at his braided companion. "It was registered under the name Duo Maxwell."

Duo let his head fall backwards against the car's plush headrest. He'd been to Stockholm before, seeing as how close it was to Sanc, but he certainly didn't own a fucking safe deposit box. He closed his eyes tight and ran fingers over the shaved side of his head.

"Shit," he muttered, opening his eyes to look at Wufei. "Heero. It's got to be Heero. He always used my goddamn name for everything. Even when he enrolled in a fucking private school during the war."

Wufei raised his brows slowly and pocketed his cell phone, not breaking eye contact with the other man. Duo sighed raggedly; he needed sleep, he needed answers, but he knew those would now have to wait even longer. "Looks like we're going to Sweden."

* * *

Nine hours, 3,946 miles, and a slightly crankier Duo later, a new, more European, car made it to a Swedbank placed in the center of the city. It was still crawling with Preventers which made the braided man think that there was definitely something more to this than a simple break in. Wufei had told him nothing was stolen save for the oddly registered safe deposit box so why the need for all the security?

When they entered the building Wufei barely got a second look by the Preventers standing in the open doorway. There was an air of intimidation and Duo realized he must have been pretty hot shit within the organization to receive that kind of fearful respect. Of course, even during the war he'd had that effect on people.

Several people gave Duo a once over with suspicious eyes, but seeing as how he was traveling on the heels of their high and mighty Commander Chang, they didn't bother to say a word. He supposed he still probably looked like hell, the whole no sleep thing and all.

Wufei told Duo to wait a moment while he discussed something with a gray haired man. He might have been higher up in the chain of command but he seemed stiff around Wufei so he figured, despite the age difference, the Chinese man was still a superior. The whole situation began to make him feel inadequate again. 'Fei was making it and still he wasn't, he was just a fucking tagalong on a murder case that probably wasn't Heero Yuy, but the question was still annoyingly up for debate.

When Wufei returned to him he flicked his fingers forward in the air without another word and Duo followed him towards the back of the bank where the safe deposit boxes were housed. Normally there was a large gated doorway and locked metal door between the outside world and the hundreds of boxes lining the room's walls, but it was all open and a little ominously quiet for Duo's liking.

Once inside both men eyed the empty metal box, about one foot deep and several inches across, laying on a central table. It was totally empty, like they had expected. Shit, so what was the point?

"This is your department." The words coming from Wufei's mouth made the braided man squint. His department? The fuck was that supposed to mean?

It was obvious that his lack of response was a sign of either confusion or denial so again Wufei spoke. "You and I both know that Heero Yuy wouldn't be so stupid as to leave anything important in a safe deposit box. At least not out in the open, waiting to be found or stolen."

Duo swallowed. He knew what he meant and he knew why it was his department. Deception, sneakiness, thinking outside the box and all that shit. Yeah, that was his department.

He stepped forward and looked at the metal box. Ordinary. Fucking ordinary. His eyes roamed the edges and lines of the container, looking for some sort of clue, some sort of chink in the armor. Running his fingers along the bottom and in the creases he wondered wryly if Wufei only requested his help for the street smarts, when the pad of his pointer finger fell upon something that could possibly be the indication he was hoping for.

Duo grabbed for the knife residing in his back pocket. Lucky for them they'd flown private, Preventer private, and that meant no giving up the right to his personal weaponry. Fucking commercial airlines, he hated it.

He slipped the edge of his knife into the small space between metallic bottom and the box's long side and pulled up, angling the blade to wedge it in. With a pop, the floor of the container loosened slightly. He reached fingers into the space and pulled out two identical compact, white flash drives.

"Bingo." He held them up for Wufei to see, a smirk of satisfaction on his lips. "This what you were looking for, Mr. Preventer Man?"

Wufei grabbed the devices from his taunting fingers. He studied them in his hand with those quiet, black eyes. Each were marked with a date; one from several months ago, the other much more recent. "I'm sure they're password protected. Probably three tries before it wipes the contents."

Duo pointed to the drives with a long finger. He was confident and yet unsure. "Guess we better start figuring out just how well I actually know Heero Yuy."

He realized too late that his phrase should have been past tense. _Knew_.


	3. Pour My Life Into A Paper Cup

**Disclaimer:** I don't own a thing (as sad as that realization is), except for the words I've written.

**Warnings:** Rated for adult language (Duo's got quite a surly mouth and mind), some violence, and mild adult themes.

**A/N:** As always, reviews are appreciated, thank you for any and all support!

* * *

**Maxwell**

**Chapter 3: Pour My Life Into A Paper Cup**

_Otherside - Red Hot Chili Peppers_

The hotel room they'd gotten just outside Sanc wasn't lavish, but it was a helluva lot better than the places Duo had been staying at lately. Preventer perks must be nice.

He and Wufei sat on the suite's couch, a laptop on the table in front of them. The Chinese man clicked the first of the flash drives into place, opting for the one dated earlier than the other.

"We have six tries to get the password correct. If this one gets wiped at least it was old information. The other one is more relevant, more important." Wufei stated it in a matter of fact way, but Duo knew he was just grasping at damn straws.

"And how do we know there's anything important on these in the first place?" His companion was obviously skeptical.

Wufei gave the man a pointed look. One of those fucking looks that could kill. "Someone was clearly looking for them. They were important enough for someone to break in and try to steal them from a safe deposit box in an extremely secure bank."

Duo didn't answer, only nodded. Yeah, it made sense. Hell, Wufei always made sense.

They stared at the screen as a small, white icon that resembled a hard-drive popped up. It was labeled _No Name_ which was without a doubt ironic for the two former Gundam pilots, a particular comrade coming to mind. But it was also another shitty, confusing thing thrown into the mix. It was so nondescript that still there was no positive evidence that these devices even belonged to Heero. But, hell, he was a mysterious fucking guy so what else could they expect?

Wufei double clicked the icon and a box emerged requesting a password with a green, blinking cursor that seemed to taunt them.

"Fuck, you were right 'Fei."

"This was inevitable, you knew that."

Sure it had been fucking inevitable, but he still didn't want to have to deal with it. Helping investigate a murder was one thing, but racking his brain for a combination of letters or numbers that Heero might find significant was another. Duo didn't want to think about him, didn't want to try and think _like_ him. Dammit, but he had to. Curiosity's a bitch after all.

Duo grabbed the pen and paper that Wufei had laid out for him. He tapped the end of the pen to his lips while he thought. After a moment he scribbled something down in his scrawling block letter handwriting. Wufei leaned over to scrutinize what he'd just written.

"Gundam? You don't think that's a bit obvious, Maxwell?"

Duo's indigo eyes flicked upwards to glare at the man. "I'm making a fucking list, 'Fei. That doesn't mean I'm gonna try the first thing that comes to mind. Geezus, do you have any better ideas?"

Wufei leaned back to signify that no he did not. Damn, impatient man. That was usually Duo's department.

He continued to write anything that came to his mind as Heero Yuy flashed throughout it. _Doctor J, Lowe, Zero, Relena, Preventer._ He sighed, this was much more fucking difficult than he thought it would be.

"Lowe?" Wufei asked, this time out of curiosity and since the man wan't chastising him anymore Duo decided to answer.

"He mentioned him once. He was the man who mentored him, raised him I guess you could say. I don't know about him, but that's a name that'd be pretty damn important to me."

Duo stared at the words he'd written. There were five viable options, though viable may have been a stretch. He thought about numbers, but there was something in the back of his mind telling him that Heero would definitely not choose numbers. Words were more important, they meant something. That's what a password was about, emotion, something with meaning.

"Shit, I guess we better just starting trying 'em, huh?" He turned towards Wufei with raised eyebrows. Both men were tenser than they needed to be.

Wufei placed his fingers atop the keys in waiting, but spoke first, staring at the screen. "Do you think he would have changed his password daily?"

Duo processed the question for a moment but finally shook his head. "Maybe...but _no_. Passwords are deep shit, personal shit. You take a word that means something and stick with it forever."

Wufei realized that the braided man next to him may have been smarter and wiser than he thought. That and he trusted in the fact that he knew Heero better than anyone. "Okay. Any particular order?"

Eyes studying the list, Duo sighed. "Try Relena first."

He watched Wufei type in the name, the image of the pretty, blonde woman floating into his mind. They both tensed and then, after hitting enter, a warning box popped up telling them the password was invalid and asking if they'd like to reenter it. Fuck, even the computer seemed to know they were desperate.

"Lowe," Duo instructed next, deciding to start with the names first. Hell, you know, it didn't really matter in the end anyways. Either they were gonna work or not.

Wufei tried the name, hit enter. _Invalid_.

Duo rubbed a hand over his mouth. He didn't like how nerve wracking this had become. Shit, he'd been the damned God of Death, fucking _Shinigami_, why couldn't he handle some simple password hacking? Maybe because Heero was just too fucking hard to read.

"Okay, two down. Now try Doctor J."

Wufei typed in the name, no spaces, hit enter. _Invalid_.

Instantly the computer screen went blank. Duo's brows furrowed. "What's happening?"

"The flash drive is wiping itself. Three incorrect passwords." Wufei's teeth were clenched with every word. Duo wasn't sure if he was pissed at him or at the situation, but for a moment he thought maybe the man was reconsidering the amount of faith he had in the ex-pilot. Shit, he was trying his goddamned best, wasn't he?

Wufei pulled the flash drive out and tossed it on the table. Useless, motherfucking useless. He pushed the newer one in, the same maddening screen popping up.

The braided man was becoming less than sure of himself. "Do we try Preventer?"

Wufei shrugged. "It's not like he didn't have involvement after the war. He never seemed to dislike the program. But you're the one calling the shots here."

Duo didn't like being the one calling the shots here. Not that he wouldn't like to be fucking large and in charge, but not like this. Not when it was this important. He thought about the photographs, the autopsy, and Heero for a split second and his stomach tensed.

"Try it."

"Are you positive?"

"Let's just say I'm a gambler, 'Fei. Try it."

Wufei typed in Preventer, hit enter. _Invalid_.

Every fucking time invalid. Duo's teeth ground together in frustration. Maybe they needed new perspective, maybe he didn't know Heero like he thought. Shit, he hadn't been around him in three years, a lot can change in three years. Like a hairstyle, priorities, a password.

"What's next? Wufei prompted. It was obvious he wanted to get through this so if the flash drives became a dead end they could start figuring other shit out as soon as possible.

Duo sighed. "Fuck it. Try Zero."

Zero. _Invalid_.

It took all of Duo's restraint not to slam his fits down on the coffee table in front of him. That was it, a fucking dead end. They had one more try and then nothing. But he was out of ideas. In that moment he wanted so desperately to find a dark pub and tell the barkeep to leave the bottle. Too much, too fast with too little progress.

"We could try Gundam," Wufei offered.

"No, you're right. Way too obvious."

"We could take a break. Come back to it." Duo knew it pained Wufei to suggest it, but this was better than completely scrapping their only lead.

"It won't do anything? We can just leave it like that?" he asked, staring at the computer screen, running fingers over his face; he needed a shave almost as much as he needed a shot of hard liquor.

"It should be fine." He sounded unsure. "There's other things we can try to accomplish in the mean time."

Duo looked up, his eyes were bloodshot. "Try to find the others?"

There was a nod and he realized that sleep would again have to wait.

* * *

It was nearly five o'clock now, by the time they got to the Winner Corp building in Sanc it would be just about closing time. Just in time to inquire about Quatre's whereabouts. Duo wondered why Wufei hadn't just gone there first, anywhere in Europe being closer to his base of operations than the U.S.

"Why would you come all the way across the ocean to find me, when Quat practically lives in your back yard?" he asked, looking out the window. He could nearly see the large towers of the Winner family business peaking out through the rolling hills of Northern Europe.

Wufei thought for a moment. "In all honesty, I didn't think you'd want to help. If I found you and you denied the Preventer offer then at least the hardest part would be over first."

Duo almost felt offended by the man's lack of confidence in him. He hadn't been getting into that much shit lately, had he? "You know, I'm _not_ accepting the Preventer offer. I'm helping an old friend." The word friend seemed to hang in the air for a moment.

There was a nod and Wufei spoke again. "Then hopefully the others are as easy to convince as you."

Duo figured Quatre would be game; compassion and camaraderie and all that bullshit. Trowa, on the other hand, might be harder, less willing. But it was smart to find the other half of that deal first; if anyone could convince Trowa it would be Quatre.

When they arrived at the Winner Corporation building and were walking through the impossibly tall glass doors of the front entrance, Duo realized that any inadequacy he'd felt around Wufei earlier was gone now, replaced by a feeling that he was not inadequate, just simply pathetic. The building was incredibly lavish and it seemed like he'd almost forgotten just how well off Quatre's family actually was. Shit, it made him feel like just another street rat back on L2 again.

It wasn't like Duo didn't have money; he did. But where that money had come from was a whole other fucking story. There was a time after the war when he thought he'd reformed, that something had changed, righted inside of himself. But, inevitable as it was, he'd slipped back into his old ways. He might have even felt a little guilty about it, but stolen and fraudulent money was still money and shit a guy's got to eat, right?

Wufei led him over towards an elevator bank, walking through the lobby as if he knew the building well. But of course he would know it well, wouldn't he? Being a Preventer and all, you'd seen everything, been everywhere, knew everyone. Damn, maybe he shouldn't have laughed out loud when he'd been offered such a position after all. Of course the whole money that was still money but wasn't _his_ money thing might have been a bit of an issue.

The elevator ride was quiet and long. Apparently Quatre's office was on the very top floor of the building. Fancy fuckin' executive suite he guessed. Duo smiled lightly at the internal comment.

When they'd arrived, Wufei turned to him with a nearly imperceptible sneer, like he knew he would be causing an argument, but what he had to say was goddamn important. "Let me do the talking, Maxwell."

Duo shrugged, not having much energy to even care at this point. The Preventer could do all the talking he liked as long is it got them where they needed to go. They walked up to a reception counter and were eyed by the middle aged woman sitting behind it. She wore a bluetooth piece in her ear and had a severity about her that made Duo wonder how Quatre could have a secretary that was anything but kind and sweet and a little bit of a push over. Those were the kind of secretaries that easily succumbed to his natural charms, though he supposed today, with Wufei 'doing the talking,' he wouldn't have to overextend himself.

"Can I help you?" her tone was biting, as if they'd just walked in at the most inopportune time. Duo looked around, the place was fucking desolate.

"We're here to see Mr. Winner." Wufei spoke with the upmost professionalism and flashed his Preventer badge for good measure.

The woman studied them. "He's not available at the moment."

The little vein in Wufei's forehead usually reserved for Duo began to show again. "I've called here a dozen times. He's _never_ available."

"Well I'm sorry sir, but you're just going to have to come back at another time." The woman seemed almost proud that she was ordering them away.

Duo noticed the slightest change in Wufei's muscles beneath his Preventer issue jacket, like he was tensing, ready for a dispute. But the tension of the situation was interrupted by a much more friendly, feminine voice from behind them. It made Duo jump, startling the shit out of him in the overly quiet top floor.

"Gentlemen, I do apologize, but my brother really is not available right now." Both men turned to face a woman, aged yet still youthfully beautiful. Her crystal blue eyes resembled those of Quatre, but other than that and the use of the word 'brother,' they would not have noticed the relation.

She held out a hand. "My name is Iria Winner. If you'd like to come with me, maybe I can try to clear some things up." The woman gave them a knowing look, almost like she recognized them.

Duo glanced over at Wufei, but the man was already walking forward, following Iria into an open conference room. Fuck, it was better than just leaving, still at the same damn dead end as they'd been at when they'd walked in. Duo followed and sat next to Wufei as the older woman sat down across from them. Both men folded their arms over their chests, waiting.

"I have to be brutally honest with you," Iria began. "I can't tell you where Quatre is."

No fucking shit. Of course she couldn't tell them, why make things more easy? Everything else seemed to be damn un-easy lately. Duo frowned in her direction, not about to take this crap anymore.

"Why not?" His words were harsher than he'd anticipated. Wufei gave him a sidelong glance with those steely eyes. Duo had forgotten their agreement that he wouldn't be the one speaking, but shit, it didn't seem to make much difference anymore anyways.

Iria's voice commanded their attention away from each other's glaring eyes. "I can't tell you, because I don't know where he is."

This was news. This was something they could possibly work with. If Quatre was missing then maybe the fire beneath their feet would start to burn fucking hotter and then they'd _have_ to figure out Heero's damn password and who'd sent those sick, fucking photographs.

Wufei sat forward. "How long has he been missing?"

She frowned. "I wouldn't go as far as to say he's missing. I just don't know where he is at the moment."

Duo rolled his eyes. Fuck, weren't those the same two things? Missing and absent, shit were they really getting into the logistics of things here?

"My brother's head of security, Rashid, told me a week and a half ago that Quatre had been sent a photograph." Both men tensed as she continued to explain. "It was a recent picture from when he'd been visiting a colony, overseeing a new expansion project for Winner Corp. I haven't had contact with either of them since."

Duo felt his muscles contract with her every word. Damn photographs. So he wasn't the only one who'd received something so fucked up. He wanted to start guessing, start laying things out on the table, start speculating. But hell if Wufei was going to let him do that. Speculation must have been something burned out of you during Preventer boot camp.

Iria gave them a sad smile. "I truly am sorry I cannot be of more help."

By the time they made it down the painfully long elevator ride and were walking briskly out of the building and towards the car Duo was beginning to rattle off everything he'd been holding in. He had another aching for brown, burning liquid on the rocks.

"Fucking photographs, 'Fei." He said through tight teeth. "You think he's hold up somewhere with the Maganacs?"

Wufei, keeping his composure slightly better than his comrade, turned his head. "That would be my first speculation...if I were speculating." There was that fucking smug look he hadn't seen in years that Duo had half a mind to wipe from his face.

"Dammit 'Fei, I'm being serious. Heero's human body double is dead." He got a dark look at that comment, but ignored it. "Both Quat and I and who knows else apparently have some kind of psycho stalker. Now blondie's missing. You have to admit that this is all beginning to feel a little too fucked up for comfort." Again he craved that banter, but it seemed Wufei had lost his smugness.

They climbed into the car without another word. Neither wanted to come right out and say it. What if Quatre had succumbed to the same fate as Heero supposedly had?

Too fucked up for comfort indeed.

* * *

Wufei left the car with the hotel valet and they entered the lobby. Still neither had spoken and that was saying something for Duo. He hated silence and filled it whenever damn possible. It was one of those things that Heero must have found endearing about him, because what other fucking reason would he have had for not killing him when he got the chance? And there were many chances. Duo decided quickly to stop thinking about that.

This elevator ride was much faster and didn't make him feel inadequate or pathetic or any of that shit. The only thing he felt was exhaustion. Maybe that had contributed somewhat to his quietness.

Wufei unlocked the door and pushed it open, Duo following closely behind.

Then they both stopped dead in their tracks.

Sitting on the couch they'd shared earlier, the laptop still open in its infuriating place, skimming Heero Yuy's autopsy report was a man in nondescript clothing, a man they knew all too well.

Tall, lean, calculating.

Trowa Barton.


	4. Hate To Say I Told You So

**Disclaimer:** I don't own a thing (as sad as that realization is), except for the words I've written.

**Warnings:** Rated for adult language (Duo's got quite a surly mouth and mind), some violence, and mild adult themes.

**A/N: **Thank you for your follows/reviews, as always they are so appreciated! I will be out of town on Sunday, so you get this chapter a day early. Enjoy.

* * *

**Maxwell**

**Chapter 4: Hate To Say I Told You So**

_Hate To Say I Told You So - The Hives_

Trowa looked up through his familiar curtain of bangs. "I was beginning to think you weren't coming back."

The door slammed behind them. Wufei stared at the man, the corner of his lips quivering upwards. "How'd you get in here?"

Trowa stood and answered with a raise of his brows and a barely perceptible smile as if to say "fucking please." At least that's how Duo decided to interpret it.

"Where the hell have you been, Tro?" Duo asked. It was bizarre to see him after all this time, though he hadn't changed much since the war. He still carried himself on the balls of his feet, agile and always ready. His face had aged, matured like all of theirs had, but hell that was unavoidable, wasn't it? Still, he was the same mysterious Trowa that they remembered.

"Life in a traveling circus is not always a predictable one," he answered cooly. "I was on an outreaching colony when I first started receiving your unrelenting messages."

Wufei let out a single laugh at his comment. "And here I thought you were just ignoring me."

"I realize now the need for all the urgency." Trowa's eyes drifted back to the autopsy image now residing on the coffee table.

Duo stared at him, crossing his arms over his sinewy chest. "You know, I was banking on us finding Quat before you. Thought we might have to wrestle you back here somehow." He grinned roguishly. "But look, here you fucking are, breaking and entering and shit."

Trowa gave the braided man a quietly amused look. "Nice to see you too."

"How _did_ you get in here, Barton?" Wufei wondered, staring at the door which was now closed securely behind them. Humorous images flooded Duo's mind of Trowa scaling the hotel wall, all stealthy and acrobatic as always, flipping around until he was able to climb in through the fucking window.

"A truly great artist never reveals his secrets." The reply was cryptic, but seeing who it came from, the other two men were satisfied. He spoke again, turning towards the autopsy and open laptop. "What have you got so far?"

"You know most of it by the autopsy report," Wufei said, gesturing for them all to have a seat. They did silently and then he went on. "A safe deposit box was found with two flash drives hidden inside. We are fairly certain they belonged to Yuy."

"How certain are you?" Trowa wondered, staring at the discarded device that had been tossed atop the coffee table.

"Seventy-five percent?" The Preventer answered from his spot in an armchair next to the couch. Duo found it wry that he answered in question form; maybe the man really was beginning to think this was going to be a dead end.

"Better get into 'computer security mode,' Tro," Duo said with a grin. "We've only got one more damn try at coming up with a valid password. No pressure or anything." He suppressed the urge to wink. It was something he would have done to Heero, but of course he wasn't here and this whole shitty situation revolved around finding him, so he suppressed it vigorously.

Trowa picked up the notepad Duo had previously been scribbling on. "These are what you've tried?" His eyes studied the words, each with an angry line through their middle.

"Yes. Any other suggestions?" Wufei was becoming hasty again and Duo tried to give him a reassuring glance. Several hours ago they thought they could possibly be the only two actually left in existence. Now there were three of them left in existence and that meant one more mind that knew Heero Yuy. He and Trowa had had some special 'I saved you when you fucking self detonated' kind of bond, so hell, his guess as to a password was as good as theirs.

Trowa thought for a moment, his lips set in a straight line. "It's difficult. If there were more room for invalidity, for guessing, then I would feel a bit more confident in my choices. What do you think we'll find on it?" He looked up, mildly curious.

"Something someone wanted to kill him for," Duo answered, his eyes suddenly dark. He may still have resided with the thought that Heero wasn't actually dead, but then the possibility and those damn fucking photographs wouldn't leave his mind alone either.

There was an almost imperceptible look of understanding between the two men. Losing someone so close, it wasn't for the faint of heart. Duo wondered vaguely if Trowa knew that Quatre was missing or hiding out or whatever the fuck, but he didn't get the chance to ask.

"Do you trust me?" Trowa looked to both men for some sort of approval.

Wufei nodded and Duo shrugged. "I trust you just about as far as I could throw you, Tro. Which is pretty fucking far, look how damn skinny you are!"

Trowa took the words as approval enough. He leaned forward from his perch on the couch towards the computer, resting his willowy fingers atop the keyboard. The cursor was still blinking, still fucking taunting all three of them now.

He typed seven letters into the box, hit enter. There was a moment where nothing happened and then all at once a screen popped into view, holding many words in tiny, but very clear print.

Duo swallowed hard. The man had typed: _Maxwell_.

* * *

Several minutes later the braided man was pacing furiously across the hotel room. His muscles were tense as the other two men studied the lists found on the mysterious flash drive.

Those damn flash drives, they were somehow causing him more and more problems rather than making things easier like they should have. Lists and lists of names, no fucking way to decipher the meaning; zip, zilch, nada. Not to mention the new pit forming in Duo's stomach regarding Heero and his incessant need to cause emotional distress even when he was supposed to be dead as a damn doornail.

"Anything?" His words were terse as he stalked over towards Trowa and Wufei. Both men looked up with blank stares that bored into his impatient features. He got the hint pretty quickly. Still nothing. Don't keep asking every two fucking minutes.

So instead of interrupting the great and almighty minds at work, Duo studied the lists of names from behind the couch. The screen reflected off of his indigo eyes as he read each name quickly. None sounded familiar, and yet somehow they all began to sound the same. He squinted; every single name typed onto the computer screen shared the same first and last initials: M.R.

Mason Radcliff, Michael Ramirez, Marshall Rettig, Mischa Rietveld, Max Russo, Miguel Robledo...the list was infinitely endless.

"The fuck?" could be heard from under Duo's breath, but still neither of the other men bothered to respond to him.

Initials. Shit. Someone Heero was trying to find? A code name? Unscrambling some sort of fucked up signature? Just as the flashing names on the computer, the possibilities seemed boundless.

After several more hard moments of silence, Wufei finally spoke up. "Any of these names look familiar to you, Maxwell?" He asked the question without bothering to turn around and face who was being questioned.

Duo shook his head. "Nope. None." His words were slow to leave his mouth as his eyes were still skimming the seemingly ceaseless list. "Why?"

He watched as Wufei shot Trowa a look. What kind of look he was unsure, but it was damn shifty and he didn't like it. Trowa faced him with green eyes. "Could they be a message?"

"A message?"

"Heero seemed to address this to you."

Brows furrowing, Duo shook his head more fervently this time, holding up his hands in front of his chest. "Oh no. I was just his password. Don't go getting all 'find the deeper meaning here' and shit."

"It's a possibility. You have to admit that, Maxwell." Wufei still didn't look up from the computer screen, a clear tension building in his shoulders that seemed uncharacteristic. Duo had half a mind to make an immature and mocking face behind the man's head, but didn't because shit, maybe he was finally maturing. Imagine that.

"Possibility don't make it true. Right now I know just as little as you guys do," Duo replied with a raise of his eyebrows. "Okay?"

Neither actually signified their understanding with the preferred "okay" back, but Duo knew they were dropping the theory shit, at least for the moment.

"It would be easier if we just found Heero and asked for answers directly." Duo stared in surprise as the words came out of the thin line Trowa called a mouth. It made his skin crawl that he couldn't tell when the man was being serious, dryly sarcastic, or fucking joking. Trowa noticed the bemused look and flicked his fingers towards the autopsy still lying sickeningly open on the coffee table. "Don't tell me you really think Heero Yuy is dead." He stared at Duo waiting intently for a reply. Wufei also stared, but at Trowa and in a way that did not hide his clear irritation.

Licking his lips, Duo's eyes shot to the autopsy and back to bottle green. "Well fuck. There's a body lying on that damn table. But that ain't him, Tro. Just like I told 'Fei earlier." He saved a particularly devious smirk for the Chinese man. That little vein pulsed into view.

Wufei said nothing, realizing that even though Preventer had ID'd the body, he supposed he had come looking for Duo Maxwell for a reason. Trowa nodded his head once. "I watched Heero come back from the dead a long time ago. I don't see why he can't do it again now."

"So now what?" Wufei was becoming impatient Mr. Preventer Man again.

Duo shrugged. "Anyone just tried calling him lately?"

Both men gave him a baffled look. But hell, it was so stupid it might just actually work, right? Without receiving a verbal response, which was becoming the fucking routine around here he guessed, Duo grabbed for Wufei's cell phone lying on the couch arm next to him. He expected an objection, but to his slightly saddened surprise Wufei still said nothing.

Duo slid his thumb against the front screen to unlock it and then with deft fingers he found Heero Yuy's contact. There was a moment when he felt he aught to be startled that Wufei had all of their numbers, sans Duo's nonexistent one, programmed into his cell phone, but then he remembered he was a fucking Preventer keeping tabs on everyone.

The phone rang. And rang, rang, rang, but no fucking answer. It didn't astound him, but still he was highly disappointed. Would have been damn fun for Heero to pick up just so he could rub it in the other two's faces.

And then, after he pulled the phone from his ear, he thought about how scary it would have been for Heero to pick up. Shit terrifying, and yet...

Duo dialed again, his comrades having gone back to analyzing the mind boggling list of names after his great defeat the first time. The phone rang. And rang, rang, rang-

"Chang?" The voice was low, deep, resonant velvet. Duo's breath caught in his throat. He hadn't heard that voice in over three years and yet it still had that comforting effect on him. His muscles slacked for a fraction of a second before the panic of the situation set in. What the hell was he supposed to say to a fucking dead man?

"Heero?" His own words shook as they made their way through to the other line. He could hear noise, like the other man had quickened his breaths. There was a pause, a hesitance and both Trowa and Wufei were staring back at him wide eyed now. But then the line clicked into sharp silence.

* * *

Two time zones away in Moscow, Russia it was two hours later and a very furious dark haired man was awakened by the sound of his cell phone ringing, not once but twice, at this ungodly hour. For him this was rare and quite irritating.

On the fourth ring of the second phone call he answered, staring at the screen in slight disbelief before doing so. Never had Wufei Chang tried to contact him at such an odd time and especially not when he was as deeply undercover as he was now. Being a consultant for Relena Darlain's security staff was not an easy job, especially when her life was in jeopardy. But sleep would have to wait; if his Preventer comrade was contacting him, risking life and limb at waking the often temperamental man, then it must have been pretty damn important.

He hadn't heard from Chang in several months now so his voice must have held a curious undertone when he'd answered, still half asleep. There was no answer at first and he thought about hanging up thinking maybe the call had been a mistake. What made him second guess his tired theory was that this had been the _second_ call placed that morning; there was no mistaking _that_.

And then a voice that did not belong to the Chinese man he pictured in his mind crept through the phone and into his mind. _Shit_.

He was going to hang up. He had to hang up. No one was supposed to know where he was or what he was doing. Not Chang, not Une, and especially not Duo Maxwell.

If it had been Chang, like he'd imagined it should have been considering the call was from his line, he would have feigned an excuse and told him he was currently unavailable. It would have worked, it always worked.

But then he felt like the air was being pushed from his lungs. He hadn't felt this vulnerable and helpless in a long time. And it seemed an even longer time ago that he had heard that voice. That infuriating yet soothing and utterly irresistible voice.

He thought for a moment of the photographs he had received several weeks ago. The root of his work, of his sudden upheaval, of his lists, of his own safety, of Duo's safety. So many words began to manifest on his tongue.

And then, he hung up.

* * *

Duo desperately needed sleep after the day he'd had, so of course his mind kept his body restlessly tossing all night long. Fucking photographs, fucking autopsy, fucking Preventers, fucking password, fucking Heero.

As the sun began to rise over the horizon and light started to filter into the double room he and Trowa were sharing in the Preventer funded suite, the man rubbed his eyes, stretching his tight and tired muscles over his head. There was a movement from the other side of the room and Duo turned on his side to face an already awake Trowa tucking sheets under his mattress and smoothing the top with agile hands.

"You know, there's a maid service for that," Duo said to him, still slightly groggy from his uneasy night.

Trowa shrugged. "Force of habit."

Duo snorted out a laugh at the slightly eccentric man. Trowa didn't have a shirt on and when he turned, the braided man could see deep scars winding across his back, raised and a slightly lighter color than the rest of his skin. They reached all way to the top of his neck and down to his lower back in an uneven pattern. Looked fuckin' painful, at the time of injury at least.

He watched as Trowa finished making the bed up, probably doing a damn better job at it than any maid could anyways, and then grabbed a change of clothes, shutting the connecting bathroom door behind him, the sound of the shower turning on several seconds later.

The night before, the three men had sat in utter silence shadowed with doubt and denial for at least an hour after the inconceivable phone conversation, or rather lack of conversation. This whole time Duo had vehemently believed that Heero was alive and kicking, but somehow hearing him on the phone had almost made him realize how crazy it must have been to actually call a presumed dead man. They had all been thinking the same thing when they'd attempted to drift to sleep: how can someone be on an autopsy table, fingerprint ID'd, and then answer his cellphone at the same fucking time? It gave them damn chills just to think about it.

Sighing, Duo decided that if he was awake he may as well commit to the whole shebang, so he pulled himself out from the sheets and padded out of the room, clad in dark plaid boxers and an old, threadbare t-shirt, towards the suite's living room.

"Fuckin, Heero," he muttered under his breath, rubbing the back of his head as a splitting pain began to run through the center of his brain. For a while he thought that maybe he had dreamt the voice, the sultry all too memorable voice, but shit, then he remembered that the only dreams he had nowadays were fucking nightmares.

It amazed him that still Wufei seemed to have an answer that contradicted everything he had thought, and now definitely knew, to be true. He had fucking talked to Heero, how could that damn Preventer pretend like he was still lying in a morgue somewhere? But still, he knew there was some sort of underlying part of the Chinese man that had to believe it. Hell, like Trowa said, he'd come back from the dead before.

Of course, Duo thought, there could be ulterior motives behind Wufei's excessive belief in Heero's death. But it would have been a stretch, even considering he and the Preventer did have somewhat of a history. Shit, but that wasn't something he wanted to think about now; it had been years, surely there was nothing left to be discussed and certainly Heero's existence, dead or alive, wouldn't bring up those fucking impulses again.

There was a small coffee pot sitting atop a thin table against the wall several feet from the front door. Drawn to the thought of caffeine Duo made a beeline for the appliance, popping in a pod that would make a single cup of coffee. As the water brewed into a steaming cup of aromatic, liquid crack, he walked towards the couch in hopes of finding a news channel on the large flatscreen hanging on the wall, but he stumbled over an object on the floor beneath his feet.

Shit. It was deja vu, nauseating familiarity, his fucking seedy hotel room all over again. Duo's eyes slowly fell down to the sickening manila envelope, his bare toes still standing on it's corner. Suddenly he couldn't stop his hands from shaking. Damn fucking nerves, why was this happening to him?

He picked up the envelope, and now less tentative than before, tore it open. He'd stupidly expected it to hold images of himself and Heero leaning on each other, kissing, or even fucking. But it damn well didn't matter because that's not what his eyes fell on.

The photograph captured the moment perfectly and if it had been him with Heero it might have made his heart skip a beat with happiness. But it was not him. No it sure fucking wasn't, but it still made his heart skip a beat. Holy fucking shit.

Trowa had his arm under Heero's shoulder, holding him close, too close. Their faces were closer than he'd ever seen them, a flushed look on Heero's features, his eyes half shut in weakness that made Duo's fists clench. The image was zoomed in, grainy and shadowed, but hell, it didn't matter. He knew, he fucking knew. He'd been in that same position many times before. All too fucking familiar.

A guttural growl left his mouth and he couldn't stop the impulse to run into that damn little hotel bathroom and drag that stupid fucking bastard out by his stupid fucking hair so he could beat him into a bloody pulp. Of course he fucking sided with Duo on the validity of Heero's death. _That motherfucking-_

A sharp wrap on the door interrupted the thoughts that seemed to be suddenly bursting into flames in his mind causing figurative smoke and steam to blow from his ears. For a moment the murderous thoughts towards Trowa became second in his mind only to the knock on the door. Not even bothering to look through the peephole, which was probably not the best idea considering the uncertain and shitty circumstances he had been experiencing lately, Duo ripped open the door.

There was a moment after his eyes first made contact with the man standing on the other side of the threshold where he almost forgot how to breathe. His disposition started first at confused, then surprised, then fucking pissed off beyond belief.

And then, with power he did not know resided inside of him, Duo pulled back his impulsive arm and thrust it forward into the fucking unsuspecting face of Heero Yuy.


	5. Superstition Ain't The Way

**Disclaimer:** I don't own a thing (as sad as that realization is), except for the words I've written.

**Warnings:** Rated for adult language (Duo's got quite a surly mouth and mind), some violence, and mild adult themes.

* * *

**Maxwell**

**Chapter 5: Superstition Ain't The Way**

_Superstition - Stevie Wonder_

Being that Heero hadn't seen the punch coming it was fairly impressive that his reflexes were still just a sharp as when Duo had last seen him. Or at least the last time he had seen him alive. The man dodged the fist flying at his face with mere centimeters to spare and within a split second they were locked in combat that neither of them could have predicted. But shit, what would anyone else expect from the two stubborn and impossibly impulsive men?

Heero swept a foot in an arch out towards the braided man's ankles, knocking him swiftly to the floor and pouncing, but Duo was ready, bringing his feet up to hit his attacker hard in the solar plexus sending him backwards into the wall next to the still open hotel room door. With a grunt Heero pushed off the wall and swung a fist towards Duo's head, the other barely able to evade it, a small clip on the jaw pushing him off a step. Everything was like fucking clockwork, both stepping in time to each other's movements.

"Throwing punches already?" Heero grunted out as he grabbed ahold of Duo's wrist and spun around. He pulled hard forcing Duo's arm onto his shoulder, shifting all of his strength in order to fling the man over and onto his back with a thud.

"Seems appropriate, don't it?" Duo gasped out, staring up at Heero's dark blue eyes in slight shock, the wind having been knocked from his body on impact.

From his upside down view Heero glared into indigo and then in one swift motion Duo had kicked his feet up and heaved his body back into a standing position causing Heero to back up slightly.

"Out of all your options, this is how you're choosing to greet me?" Heero bit out. Both men were now circling one another, neither ready to surrender, neither truly understanding the meaning for the fight, but both damn well sure they were going to win. Like a fucking lion stalking its prey.

"Was that fuckin' sarcasm, Yuy? Gotten a sense of humor in your old age?" Duo bit out, a sparkle of amusement in his eyes. Shit it had been too long since their last bantering conversation; Heero was very much _alive_ and this was fucking glorious.

The image of the autopsy and the cold metal table Heero's lifeless body had been laying on filtered out of Duo's mind replaced with memories of times he'd tried to forget about with alcohol and bad decisions. Fuck, suddenly everything seemed to be just as it was before he'd abandoned that damn hospital on X-18999 and never looked back. What the hell was karma playing at now?

His eyes flicked to the floor. That damn fucking photograph of Heero and Trowa laid between them, face down now, but Duo could picture it in his mind, searing a hole in his brain. What a fucking inopportune time for the man to decide to rise from the dead.

Still standing his ground, Heero nearly laughed at his words, but didn't because, shit, why waste the energy? He stared at Duo and the braided man could feel his steely eyes roving the top of his head, specifically the shaven right side covered in chestnut fuzz and scar tissue.

"What happened to you?"

"Oh, Heero you noticed my new look?" Duo crooned, his words dripping sardonic cynicism. His fists still clenched. Now really wasn't the time for sharing fucking sob stories.

There was a moment where Heero considered finally ending this incessantly idiotic display when a powerful hand grabbed the back of his neck thrusting his body backwards into the wall. Within a second the forearm belonging to said powerful hand found a strangling place against his throat, effectively pinning him. Wufei glared at the imprisoned man before him, his other hand hovering just above the gun tucked into the back waistband of his Preventer uniform, but from Duo's perspective of the situation, Heero wasn't about to attempt escape.

Wufei narrowed his eyes and when he spoke his tone was colder than ever. "You and I are the same..."

Without missing a beat Heero finished the sentence in a rough voice due to the pressure on his wind pipe. "We are only able to acknowledge our existence on the battlefield."

Almost immediately Wufei released his hold on the other man, Heero taking a stumbling step forward, catching himself.

"What the fuck was that?" Duo blurted out, staring at the two before him with incredulous eyes. Shit, why did everyone around here have to act so fucking mysterious all the time? He shook his head, placing hands on his hips waiting for a response.

Wufei gave him a bland look. "I've got an autopsy report that say's he's dead," he explained in a matter of fact way, pointing a hand towards the brunette man. "That was an old conversation only the _real_ Heero Yuy would have memory of."

Duo stared at him with sharp eyes, crossing his arms. Damn Wufei always had a fucking good answer for everything. "Now will you believe me and stop giving me shit, 'Fei?"

Wufei, clearly begrudgingly, nodded, but before he could say anything more, Heero stepped forward with a quirked eyebrow. "What autopsy report?"

Duo turned, regaining some of his composure since their scuffle, though the newest photograph still haunted his mind. "Heero, fuck, hate to break it to you but you're supposed to be dead," he said with a shrug. "According to Preventer that is."

Heero's stony face did not change emotion. "What?"

"Weren't you paying attention to what I just said, Heero!?" Duo's arms waved in the air and then flopped to his side, sighing roughly. Wufei decided to take a different approach, walked over to the coffee table, picked up the autopsy report and handed it to Heero without a word.

They watched as shadowy blue eyes studied the image of himself, which must have been fucking spooky to look at, lying cold and dead in a Preventer morgue. "Fingerprints?" he muttered under his breath. Wufei unconsciously nodded having read the report enough times to practically memorize it, though Heero never looked up from the pages in his hands.

"Am I missing all the new excitement?" Still Heero did not look up, but Duo jumped at the soft words. Trowa stood in the doorway to the shared double room, his hair still damp from the shower, the wet strands hanging over one green eye as he stared at them. An impulsive growl formed in the back of Duo's throat as his vision once again found the turned over image on the floor.

Trowa, having noticed the nearly imperceptible movement, took several quick strides forward and reached the photograph before Duo could, pulling it up and away from the other man's fingers with interest.

"Another photograph?"

"Get a good look, Tro, because it's gonna be the last thing you fuckin' see!"

There was a moment when Duo's fist was brought back and Trowa's vision looked up from the image he held in order to view the jealous contempt in the other man's eyes before Heero was yet again pouncing on the braided man, grabbing his wrist and twisting it painfully behind his back.

"Don't you ever learn?" he hissed through clenched teeth.

Duo struggled like a child as the man's other arm wrapped around his midsection. "Fuck, Heero, let me go you stupid, bionic son of a bitch!"

Trowa took a slow step backwards from the two. He looked at the picture one more time and the corners of his lips pulled upward which only caused Duo to jump forward harder and pull against Heero's unrelenting grip. Trowa's smirk faded instantly.

"Duo, this is a set up," Trowa said, gesturing towards the image.

"A set up?"

There was a nod. "All of these photographs we have been sent. Someone is trying to get a rise out of us, scare us, get us back together, whatever. But I just haven't been able to quite figure out why."

Duo slackened and felt Heero release him. He rubbed at his wrist, shooting his previous captor an icy glare. "You never mentioned that you've been getting these fucked up pictures too. But what the hell am I supposed to think when I see that?" he shouted, pointing to the intimate image still in Trowa's possession.

Heero picked up his autopsy and started examining it again, almost uncomfortably. Trowa shrugged, staring down at the photograph. "This was probably taken a long time ago. It looks like Heero is still injured from his self-destruction, you can see the bandages if you look closely. Someone cropped it knowing how to play to your weakness, Duo."

A fierce blush assaulted Duo's cheeks. He licked his lips and attempted to immediately change the subject. Shit, he felt silly about the jealousy thing and Trowa had a point about these damn fishy photographs, but mainly he didn't like that the man had referred to Heero as one of his weaknesses. All he fucking needed right now was _that_ awkward conversation.

Duo watched as Heero's eyes narrowed, staring down at the mirrored version of his dead self. Fuckin' creepy shit. "Want to explain to us your human body double there, Heero?"

His dark eyes flicked up, the irritation residing in their depths quickly replaced with uncommon confusion. "Another set up?" He shrugged. Usually Heero always had a good fucking answer like Wufei, but this time he seemed completely at a loss. Something was off, like he was holding something back.

Heero's vision roamed the three faces staring at his surprising mortality, then moved about the room until it landed on the laptop sitting on the coffee table. The little white flash drive was still stuck into its port and Duo saw Wufei's fists clench. Shit, not good. You don't break into Heero Yuy's shit.

Walking to the couch without hesitation, Heero sat down and threw open the laptop, being greeted by an all too familiar list of names. His teeth clenched and shoulders tensed. Shit, really not good.

Heero didn't turn around. "Where did you get this?" His words were sharp. Shit, really fucking not good.

Duo scratched the back of his head nervously, but Wufei spoke before the braided man could dig himself into a grave that was probably inevitable, but he was going to stave it off as long as he could, for all their sake's. "Wouldn't you rather it in our hands than in the hands of whoever broke into 'Duo Maxwell's' safe deposit box?"

Heero's muscles visibly slackened. He seemed to be mulling something over in his mind as he continued to stare at the computer screen. "You've all received photographs then?"

"The only picture I've gotten was the one of your dead body," Wufei replied in a monotone.

"Apparently we've both gotten those fun little presents." Duo hooked a thumb in Trowa's direction and the other man nodded in agreement. "And Quatre too according to his sister."

Heero turned around to face them again. "Quatre?"

"Yeah, you remember him don't you 'Ro? Blond, too empathetic for his own good, Winner Corp CEO and all that shit." Duo asked with sarcasm sparking off his tongue.

A steely look of daggers assaulted him, nearly knocking him backwards. Shit, those death-glares hadn't lost their potency. "I _mean_ we're all here for once," Heero gestured around the room. "Where is Quatre?"

A throat cleared and drew all attention to the tall man whose arms were folded over his chest and was leaning against the wall eyeing the group. Trowa's lips were set in a grim line. "I might have an idea of where to start."

* * *

The car ride was quiet save for the soft conversation taking place between driver and passenger. Heero and Wufei sat up front in the Preventer issued, black sedan while Trowa and Duo occupied the back. The braided man sat behind Wufei so that he could see the side of Heero's face as the man looked straight out the windshield, barley an expression on his solid features. Fuckin' inscrutable as ever.

Every once in a while he and Wufei murmured about something, but with the faint sound of a news channel piping through the radio, Duo could only make out bits and pieces. Damn unfortunate too, his curiosity about Heero ready to boil over.

He heard the words _undercover, Relena, security, photographs, Moscow, _and_ investigation_. Fuck, how was he supposed to be able to decipher any of that? Of course, there was a reason for their low tones, but hell why did Wufei get the sneak peek into Heero's life? Fuckin' Preventer.

The car travelled swiftly away from their hotel and towards a destination Trowa had vaguely revealed earlier. All four men, though all having different things on their minds, sat with pits in their stomachs.

Damn the circumstances that were suddenly bringing them together and damn whoever was causing those circumstances. Mysterious persons better beware, if they couldn't find Quatre there'd be more than just hell to pay.

* * *

A man with a name unknown watched the black sedan leaving the hotel with careful eyes. His own car, a Crown Vic of older, less sleek proportions sat a block away, his face hidden within the shadows of the dark upholstery and turned down visor. He pulled out a cell phone and dialed his employer.

"There are four of them now. You'll think I'm mad, but the fourth one bares an uncanny resemblance to Heero Yuy, though this man is very much alive." He paused for a moment, listening. "I'll keep a weather eye out. It's like that gathering of clans over here. It's working like a damn charm."

* * *

The neighborhood the black sedan entered was quiet and upscale, reminding Duo again of his current state and the fact that everyone seemed to be making it save for himself. The high rise condominium building they pulled up to was completely built of glass, the morning's sun shining off the windows, fiberglass patio's residing on every floor attached to each separate residence.

"How do you know about this place again, Tro?" Duo wondered, leaning forward to gaze out the front windshield, new anxiety building in the back of his mind.

Trowa, who was also looking out, but through his own window, shrugged. "Quatre and I have kept in touch."

Duo felt a sarcastically crude comment bubble in the back of his throat but decided, due to the current proceedings and the glares he was sure to receive from up front, forced the thought back down, laughing silently at himself in his own mind. How stupid could he have been to actually let himself get a rise out of that fucking photograph of Trowa and Heero? He knew better than most the sort of feelings shared between the tall man and petite blond. It wasn't hard to figure that unspoken shit out.

They pulled across the street from the large building, apparently holding a secret Winner safe-house, and all four men got out too look up at the exorbitantly, modern structure.

"What floor?" Wufei asked.

"Second."

Duo snorted. "And here I thought Quat would have the entire top floor all for himself."

Trowa gave him a sidelong glance. "It's a safe-house. A penthouse wouldn't be very inconspicuous."

Duo shrugged and Heero spoke up. "I'm assuming we can't just walk in the front door."

"No," Trowa said, shaking his head. He walked around to the trunk of the car, waited for Wufei to unlock it, and pulled out the bag the Preventer had packed before they left.

Duo eyed it uneasily, wondering what kind of bag of tricks the men had put together. Guns, knives, explosives who knows, Trowa seemed to favor them all. But to his surprise the man opened the bag to give them all a look inside at a simple grappling hook and rope.

Suddenly he had a fucking bad feeling about this.

* * *

Duo found himself standing lookout at the back of the large complex. Though it was midmorning, there was no one around, probably all at work he supposed. Shit, sometimes he thought maybe he should just find a damn boring desk job so that he didn't find himself in such nerve wracking and compromising situations. But hell, where was the fun in that?

Wufei paced briskly back and forth from one edge of the building to the other, his Preventer handgun positioned in it's holster. He looked around the corner every time he reached one, his eyes sharp. He seemed just as fucking nervous though would never voice it like Duo had already done several times.

Breaking and entering had never been something he felt wrong about doing, in fact he usually enjoyed it. But, breaking into Quatre Winner's safe house had somehow struck a nerve. Maybe it had to do with the fact that the man had been categorically missing and it was too fucking scary to think of what they might find in that glass encased condo.

"Being a Preventer I thought you wouldn't condone this kind of criminal activity," Duo joked in a hushed tone as Wufei stalked past him.

"We have probable cause to investigate," came a reply over the man's shoulder. He didn't fully answer the statement, rather fucking skirted around the accusation, but still Duo smirked. Once a pilot, always a pilot, Preventer or not.

Looking up, he watched as Trowa leaped from the rope hooked to the condo's patio with ease, grabbing the railing and pulling himself over landing without a sound. Fucking tightrope walker.

Heero followed closely behind, having been elected to be the second invader due to his agile abilities and skills at rewiring the intricate security system Trowa had explained to them earlier. Duo had grumbled, arguing that his skills were just as adept, but one piercing look from Heero and he'd shut up, saying he didn't feel like scaling a fucking glass building anyways.

As both men approached the condo's sliding glass door Duo could just make out their movements if he stood far enough away from the building, still keeping his wits about him as a good lookout always should, according to Mr. Preventer Man.

Trowa pulled a set of ceramic knuckles from the pocket of his dark pants that matched his dark grey shirt, completing his nondescript look. Duo had seen knuckles like that before, molded from some kind of mineral powder, pressurized, and bound with a type of epoxy adhesive. They were probably stronger than steel or brass and seemed to fit well with Trowa's unique and enigmatic personality.

The man slid them over his own knuckles and made a fist in order to tap them against the glass next to the door's handle. They would only have fifteen seconds to disarm the alarm once the condo was breached before anyone, probably Preventer or the Maganacs, could be notified. Trowa hit the glass again, slightly harder this time, and the glass broke into a spidery, circular shape from the impact. His dexterity was so great that he'd pulled back his hand before any glass came into contact with his real knuckles. He pushed away some extra shards of glass and then, taking the knuckles off and placing them back into his pocket, he slipped a thin arm inside and flicked the door's lock up.

Immediately, even on the ground below, the sound of a beeping alarm could be heard. Both men slipped into the condo and within seconds the noise was replaced with silence. Fuck, maybe Heero was the best man for the job. But never would Duo ever admit that to the smug son of a bitch's face.

Peeking around the corner, Wufei flicked his fingers and Duo followed him around to the front of the building. There was a familiar buzz and the door clicked open and the two men entered, finding the stairwell. They took the stairs two at a time, the fact that Wufei seemed to be unconsciously racing the braided man to the second floor made Duo grin roguishly. Always a fucking competition.

When they arrived at their desired destination, the door was cracked open. Each man looked left and right and then slipped into the condo, closing the door quietly behind them.

"Well that was fucking easy," Duo grunted, staring at his pristine surroundings. It was completely desolate, but there was a hellish odor floating about the open floor plan like rotting flesh that made his nose wrinkle and his stomach churn.

"Smell's like something died in here." He realized the gravity of his joking words the minute they left his unruly mouth. _Shit_. Trowa gave him a stare that sent chills through his spine. Not the time for fucking jokes when one of their own was MIA and another was supposed to be dead.

Heero made his way swiftly to the kitchen and found a large, double door refrigerator. Duo followed, hanging back slightly placing his hands on the granite countertop on the island between them. There was a sickening moment before the refrigerator doors were pulled open when he half expected to see dismembered body parts dripping in red stacked on the cold shelves.

The horrid aroma grew exponentially as the appliance was opened. Contrary to Duo's B-horror movie thoughts, the refrigerator merely held some rotting packages of chicken, beef, and graying vegetables that seemed untouched for a long while. Damn disgusting shit, but better than fucking body parts.

Heero placed the back of his hand over his nose. "Looks like someone was living here, recently enough to have bought groceries."

Trowa stepped forward as Heero closed the door in order to relieve them slightly of the odor. "It's as if when he last left he expected to return." He eyed a mug and spoon in the sink and a stale looking half-full pot of coffee on the counter.

"Iria was right. He did receive at least one photograph," Wufei announced from the living area. He held an empty, torn manila envelope in his hand, studying the block letter's of the name 'Winner' written in black ink. "Just like yours," he added, looking to Duo.

They spent the next half an hour sweeping the entire apartment, but coming up with jack fucking shit. Afterwards, all four stood in the living room, staring at the envelope harboring Quatre's last name. Duo turned to Wufei and spoke through clenched teeth. "Well this was a damn dead end."

Trowa, having overheard the braided man, shook his head and spoke in a slightly disheartened voice. "Not necessarily. We know that when he left it wasn't planned."

Shit, it was true, but it was ominous and not the greatest fucking thing to think about. Of course, there was still no evidence that he hadn't left at his own accord, but the severity of the situation was beginning to catch up with all of them. The possibilities were unpredictable.

"We better get going, neighbors might have seen us," Heero instructed to break the silence.

The group made their way back down the stairwell and out the front of the building trying to act as inconspicuous as possible. Trowa hoisted the bag containing the rope and grappling hook onto his shoulder. Wufei fished the car keys from his pocket. Heero cracked his knuckles almost anxiously. Duo stopped dead in his tracks behind the other three.

He looked back at the building, no onlookers, no suspicious eyes from atop balconies. But, as his own eyes drifted back towards the others, he saw a black Crown Victoria parked thirty yards away.

Fucking facing them. A figure behind the wheel, _watching_.


	6. You Got No Fear Of The Underdog

**Disclaimer:** I don't own a thing (as sad as that realization is), except for the words I've written.

**Warnings:** Rated for adult language (Duo's got quite a surly mouth and mind), some violence, and mild adult themes.

**A/N:** Thank you for keeping up with this story thus far, it's been fun! As always reviews are so appreciated and help me know how this story is coming along and if people are liking it or not. So with that, enjoy this next installment.

* * *

**Maxwell**

**Chapter 6: You Got No Fear Of The Underdog**

_Underdog - Spoon_

"Slowly come to a stop, turn and face me." By now they had all made eye contact with the suspicious vehicle, though Duo was the one to voice the command, his words more serious than usual.

The three stopped and turned creating a loose circle as if they were making causal conversation. Duo made sure that Trowa's tall figure was between himself and the watching car. "That Crown Vic has been following us. I noticed it earlier when we left the hotel."

"Any ideas? Maybe our mysterious photographer?" Wufei turned to the other men. No one gave a response.

After a moment Duo gave a wicked smile. "Well then, I think it's time to find out."

* * *

Duo, having "offered" to drive in a demanding sort of way, found himself triumphantly sitting behind the sedan's wheel, Wufei next to him. "Don't hurt the car, Maxwell, or else Preventer will hurt you...and probably me too."

"Have a little faith in my skills, 'Fei."

"That's what I'm afraid of. Your '_skills_.'"

Duo ignored him and revved the engine, easing away from the curb, checking his mirrors to make sure no one was coming.

He spun the wheel while simultaneously slamming on the gas to perform a screeching U-turn. He hit the gas again and accelerated thirty yards, slammed on the brakes just in time for Trowa to jump skillfully from the back seat, several feet in front of the Crown Vic. The car lurched forward and then Duo hit the breaks again to pull up next to the driver's side door.

Trowa, ceramic knuckles on, smashed the passenger side window and chased the startled man out the other door and right into Duo's waiting arms. Held in place, Heero hit the man once in the stomach and once across the face, knocking him out easily, his body slumping to the ground. Duo fought a cringe, remembering how fucking powerful Heero's punches could be.

Wufei stared down at the blood seeping out of the man's broken nose. He rolled the body over with his foot so that the blood would pool on the pavement rather than in his throat and then he saw it. There was a Glock 23 in a shoulder holster and a pouch for a spare magazine on the man's belt. Wufei's fingers found his own holster, his eyes not leaving the unconscious body.

The gun, the holster, the pouch. They were all Preventer issue, identical to his own.

_ Fuck._

"Dammit," Wufei snarled. "We just took down a Preventer."

Duo's brows raised. "Shit, you sure 'Fei? Wouldn't you recognize him-"

"I don't know every fucking Preventer on the force, Maxwell!" His voice was louder than normal; an angry, almost paranoid, edge to it. Duo put his hands up in mock surrender.

"Why would a Preventer be tailing us?" Trowa asked.

"We'll figure that out later. Far from here," Heero said, his teeth clenched.

Wufei knelt down and pulled out the man's badge. "Sean Davis. According to this he's way out of his jurisdiction."

"Is that good or bad?" Duo wondered softly.

"I don't know yet."

Duo and Heero lifted the man's body into the backseat of his car, leaving him in a recovery position. It was the least they could fucking do for the Preventer. Though he should know better than to tail former Gundam pilots.

They turned back to their sedan, all four doors still wide open, the engine running. But lucky for Duo, not a scratch on it. Shit, very lucky for him since Wufei would have had a meltdown with even the tiniest bit of damage.

The men piled in, this time back to their original seats from that morning.

"Looks like we need a new car," Duo said from the back seat.

"I don't think Preventer will be too obliging," Wufei answered.

Heero turned slightly. "I have a vehicle or else we can take cabs in order to break the link."

Duo wondered if they'd be splitting the fare and the image of them attempting to do so in an orderly fashion made him smirk. "Probably should find a new place to call home, too," he added.

The three other men nodded silently. Fuck, how could this investigation get anymore complicated than it already was?

* * *

The four men sat in a restaurant on the outskirts of the Sanc Kingdom, an establishment picked this time by their Preventer comrade, rather than a greasy spoon that the braided man might have preferred.

Duo looked around at his upscale surroundings, down at his faded, white undershirt and ripped, dark jeans, and then back up at his three companions. This wasn't his fucking scene and he hoped that it wasn't Heero or Trowa's either, but they didn't seem to be paying any mind to it.

The prices were higher than he was used to and it wasn't that he couldn't afford it, he just hated to waste money on food he could get anywhere. He felt that inkling feeling again that Wufei was _definitely_ making it. Probably the other men too.

A waitress with a crystal water pitcher came and refilled their glasses. Duo leaned forward after she'd left. "Have you still been calling him?" He looked straight at Wufei.

The Chinese man nodded. "Yes. Straight to voicemail, but the phone is still on, obviously. So that's a good sign." He said it in a way that left the "good" part open for interpretation.

"Tell me again what Iria said to you?" Trowa asked.

Wufei gave Duo a nod to signify that it was his turn to tell the story. Duo sighed. "She said she didn't know where he was, though she didn't think he was missing. But, shit, now I think that sentiment is a little too hopeful for my liking." He received three powerful glares for that comment, but ignored them. "Rashid said Quatre was sent a photograph of himself on a recent business trip, which now we know is true since 'Fei found the envelope it came in. Who knows how many other pictures he might have been sent with it."

Trowa nodded once and folded his arms in pensive thought. It might not have been obvious to the others, but Duo saw the look of unease on his features. He'd had that same look not too long ago, before Heero showed up at their front door. Hell, in fact he still felt that unease regarding the recently proclaimed dead man, but for different reasons now.

While the others sat quietly, mulling over recent events, Wufei obviously still angry due to their mistaken identity of the now unconscious and bleeding Preventer, Duo gazed out the corner of his eye at Heero. He was still as formidable as ever, but there was a new softness about him that Duo couldn't quite put his finger on. And shit he'd love to, love to run his fingers all over that body like he had so many years ago, but he had an ill feeling that that was not on the agenda for him anymore.

Duo sighed and when their food came they ate, making quiet and pointless small talk as if they were just four friends catching up. Which they were in a way. Fuck, it was good to see everyone, but again the circumstances were becoming increasingly shitty.

When it came to an after meal treat, Duo waved the menu away but took coffee like the others. He watched as Wufei poured a packet of artificial sweetener into his, while the others sipped it black. "So when are we going to talk business?"

Heero looked up at the braided man. "Business?"

"Yeah, like how the fuck you're alive and what the meaning of all those names you've been keeping track of is?"

The other two men turned their attention from Duo to Heero, waiting, agreeing with the question but not vocalizing it.

The brunette man did not answer, only looked Duo straight in the eyes, almost challenging. Fuck, he wanted to take another swing at him, but Wufei would probably be pissed at him for 'making a public scene.'

Duo sneered. "Look Heero. I know you were investigating something. Fuck, those flash drives seem pretty damn important to you. Don't think I didn't hear your little convo with 'Fei in the car earlier." It was somewhat a bluffing statement, he wasn't lying, but he also hadn't heard the entire conversation, only enough to pique his curiosity in a fucking frustrating sort of way.

Heero's gaze never left his. Those steely eyes caused a damn shiver to run over the braided man's partially shaven head. He reached into the inside pocket of the brown, leather bomber jacket he wore over muscular shoulders and pulled out a white flash drive that was the identical twin to the other two now residing in Wufei's brief case.

Duo's eyes narrowed as he placed the device atop the table in the center of the four men. They all stared at it in silence for a moment.

"This holds the most up to date list. We've all received some sort of photographs, but mine had a calling card attached. The initials M.R., hence the list of names, all from within the ESUN, anyone with probable cause to be following us, documenting us for all these years." Heero spoke in a calculating way, keeping his voice low so only their ears could hear the words. "As for my apparent death, that's news to me. I've been undercover investigating a terrorist threat against the Vice Foreign Minister."

"But how? That body had your fingerprints," Duo said. "Did Doctor J fuckin' clone you during the war without telling you?" It was meant to be a joke, but no one was laughing. Tough fucking crowd.

"A Preventer agent was following us. One in the same?" Wufei directed the question at Heero, straying slightly away from Duo's topic of choice, but still within the realm of the issues at hand.

Heero shrugged. "Probably just a piece of the puzzle. Not M.R., that would be too simple. A pawn doing someone else's dirty work, maybe the messenger, but not the photographer if I had to guess."

"Can we get a background on the man?" Trowa wondered. "Sean Davis, was it?"

Wufei nodded. "I already sent the name to Une. If he's out of his jurisdiction she'd like to know."

"But we also left him fucking bleeding in the backseat of his car," Duo laughed out crudely. He took a sip of coffee and smiled at Heero's sharp glare.

"I'll take the fall if it comes to that," Heero said through grit teeth. "I'm the one who did the dirty work."

Duo raised his brows. "Technically we all did the dirty work."

"We also broke into Winner's safe-house," Wufei interjected with a frown. "If we're going to get technical."

"Have you told Une about Heero's liveliness?"

Wufei shot Duo a dark look. "Not yet." Maybe fucking Preventer protocol was starting to go out the window.

They sat in silence again. Something Duo was begrudgingly getting used to.

"I assume you've got leads then?" Trowa finally broke their contemplative thoughts as their coffee grew cold. He looked at Heero expectantly.

"If you could call them that."

Duo eyed the flash drive. "Who the fuck is trying to mess with ex-Gundam pilots? Do they have a damn death wish, or what?"

Heero grunted. "They have a motive, I'm sure."

"Yeah, but shit, a lot of people would have a reason to want us dead, even in this 'time of peace.'" Duo held his fingers up to form air quotes.

"Trying to provoke us with those photographs," Wufei said quietly, almost to himself as he thought, staring down at his coffee mug. "Could Yuy's death have been a set up?"

"Like bait?" Trowa responded. "To get us back together."

"Hn." Heero picked up the flash drive and put it back in his pocket. "Could be."

"Fuck," Duo whispered, realizing that it wasn't such a far fetched idea. In fact, if that was the intention it seemed to be working like a charm. Four of them were back together, just one more needed to make a complete set.

"If that's true," Duo raised his voice now to his companions. "Then it wouldn't make sense for Quatre to be...well you know." He didn't want to say 'dead' because saying it out loud might make it true. Shit, he didn't want that to be true.

Trowa gave him a sharp look, but instead of chastising him he seemed to agree with him, nodding his head silently. Hell, it truly did make sense the more and more Duo thought about it and he felt a small weight being lifted off of his shoulders. He wondered if, even though they had an apparent stalker with an apparent unknown motive, death might not be the objective. Yet at least.

Wufei picked up the tab and the others, save for Duo, argued against the unnecessary generosity. The Chinese man just smiled and flashed them his Preventer credit card. Fuckin' Preventer perks to the rescue yet again.

They walked outside towards a new car, this time dark blue. Duo wondered if it actually belonged to Heero or if he'd rented or stolen it. He had a hard time thinking about Heero fucking Yuy signing papers in a car dealership and making sure he had up to date insurance cards in the glove compartment.

All four men watched their surroundings carefully, more carefully than ever now with the possibility of more tails, especially Preventer ones. It made Wufei's stomach clench in uncertainty and Duo noticed the obvious agitation.

It never seemed clear with the man, but Duo hoped that his allegiance would be to the pilots over anyone else, like Preventer, if it came down to that.

Duo grabbed the backseat door handle, watching Trowa do the same thing across the car's roof, but then the tall man's eyes drifted forward and Duo followed his gaze. They both smiled.

Grabbing Wufei's elbow on the way, Duo stepped forward, following Trowa, Heero getting the hint and trailing behind with narrowed eyes. It only took a moment for the others to understand where Trowa was taking them.

"This is kind of biblical, people keep coming back to fucking life," Duo whispered in Wufei's ear with a grin.

"Biblical?" the man muttered, slightly amused by the irony. "Our assumptions were luckily off, that's all."

They reached a black town car a block from their own. In the backseat, through a barely see-through window sat a small figure; blond, blue eyes with a pair of horn-rimmed, circular reading glasses sitting atop his petite nose. He hadn't changed, still wearing the crisp, white shirts he was known for. It reminded Duo of his feelings of inadequacy; the bottom of the totem pole out of the, now five, pilots.

Quatre Raberba Winner rolled down his window as they approached, a knowing smile gracing his lips, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. He was obviously troubled, but shit, that didn't really surprise any of them, you know, all things considered.

"You should be more careful. We just beat up a guy who was tailing us. Left him bleeding and unconscious thanks to Heero's handy work." Duo gave him a toothy smile.

"Who tries to tail ex-pilots?" Quatre wondered with a cynical smirk, removing his reading glasses.

"My sentiments exactly."

Damn. Now that they were all back together, things were about to really get interesting.


	7. With Care From Someone

**Disclaimer:** I don't own a thing (as sad as that realization is), except for the words I've written.

**Warnings:** Rated for adult language (Duo's got quite a surly mouth and mind), some violence, and mild adult themes.

**A/N:** I am blown away by your reviews! Thank you for them all, they are so appreciated. I am working on my capstone all day tomorrow so here is Chapter 7 a day early. Things are about to really heat up. Enjoy.

* * *

**Maxwell**

**Chapter 7: With Care From Someone**

_With Care From Someone - Dillard & Clark_

Quatre sat in the middle of the backseat, having opted to leave the slightly conspicuous town car for their more discreet vehicle. He sent the driver away with a flick of his hand. Good ole Winner money.

It was a lucky thing there was only five of them, otherwise they'd be traveling separately. That would have been fucking inconvenient; of course piling into the backseat of Heero's compact car was also slightly inconvenient.

"Where do we go now?" Heero said from behind the wheel. His eyes flicked to the rearview mirror and stared at indigo ones for a moment too long. Duo looked away and out the window. A damn blush crept onto his cheeks.

Quatre answered the question. "How about the Sanc Grand Central. It's close and fairly discreet compared to some other hotel options."

"And expensive," Duo muttered, his chin in his hand, still looking out the window, the blush finally lifting.

Quatre eyed him with a sidelong smirk. Wufei turned slightly in the front seat to face the blond. "Maxwell's broke."

"I am not," Duo bit out, glaring at the Chinese man, trying to hold back the urge to stick his tongue out in defiant immaturity.

"I found him in a hotel room barely suitable for hookers." It was probably the most amusing thing Wufei had ever fucking said, but since it was directed at him, Duo couldn't laugh. He only grit his teeth and sneered in the man's direction.

"I haven't exactly been working lately. So sue me, Chang."

"Lately?" Now it was Heero's turn to chide the braided man. "You've never worked, not even during the war." There was a barely imperceptible hint of humor in his rude words. His eyes flashed in the rearview mirror again.

Duo crossed his arms and frowned. Trowa let out a soft chuckle from his seat next to the other back window.

"He's become quite sensitive about money," Wufei said, turning around to face forward in his seat again.

Quatre stifled a laugh. "Oh, Duo." His words were concerned and sympathetic.

"You guys are assholes," Duo grumbled, his brows furrowing deeply.

"They're only joking," Quatre said quietly from next to him, a small smile on his face.

Duo grunted. "At a time like this? It's just in poor taste."

This got a rouse from everyone in the car and soon even Duo found himself chuckling at the recent banter. It seemed that having everyone together, and _alive_, had lightened the moods within the five men. Hell, everything seemed to fall back into place easier than one would think, like nothing had changed over the past three years.

But the ex-pilots knew better than to think everything would be easy now that they were together, in fact they knew, deep down, that the biggest of their troubles were just beginning.

* * *

When they arrived at the hotel, Quatre putting down his personal credit card this time, the men found themselves gathered in one of the second floor suite's bedrooms. Duo sprawled on the bed he had apparently claimed, his ankles crossed, arms behind his head, seemingly relaxed though his muscles were still tense. Heero sat in an armchair in the corner, his eyes glued to his computer screen. Trowa and Quatre occupied the other bed, sitting side by side near the corner, but not so close as to suggest anything, the tall man leaning his forearms against his knees while the other stretched his arms back on his palms. Wufei chose to stand, arms crossed, leaning against the wall by the doorway. Everything was just so damn typical of the young men.

They hadn't all been in the same room together since the war. The picture of the five of them, just young teens, sitting aboard Peacemillion flashed into Duo's mind. Hell, in all honesty he never thought he'd see the day when they were back together again, it was kind of uncanny.

"So you were literally underground this whole time?" The words felt odd on Duo's tongue as he spoke, though Quatre's story was just odd to begin with.

The blond nodded. "Protective custody as Rashid liked to call it. Though, holding someone against their will doesn't seem like protective custody to me." He smiled wryly.

"It was for your own good," Trowa said. Fucking protective as always.

Quatre actually rolled his eyes. "If it was for my own good then you all should have been forced into protective custody as well. Now I know that I'm not the only one who received these curious photographs."

"Curious?" Duo scoffed. "Try 'fucked up', Quat."

"Yes." Quatre sighed with a resigned nod. "The photograph that roused Rashid most was of myself on a business trip in the colonies. Though it wasn't taken while I was representing Winner Corp, but...while I was visiting Trowa. Unofficially, off the clock, no one around, or so I thought. That's what put Rashid and the Maganacs over the edge. So, yes, Duo I agree that it was 'fucked up.'"

There was an air of tensity after his words and it had nothing to do with the fact that he had inadvertently cursed. Trowa actually looked flustered by the confession of their apparent visitation. Duo smirked for a moment, but realized it still wasn't time for snide remarks.

"So how'd you convince Rashid to let you out?" Wufei wondered, his eyes not leaving the ground.

Quatre pursed his lips, staring at the Preventer. It was obvious that even the amusing goading in the car hadn't quite roused him from the episode with Sean Davis earlier that day. They'd explained everything to him in detail on the way to the hotel. "Actually, Wufei, your messages played a big role. I'm glad you were so..._persistent_."

Wufei snorted. "No problem."

"I have a new number now though. That phone was feared to be compromised. Maganac paranoia I'm afraid." Quatre looked to Heero's unmoving form and then to Duo's seemingly lackadaisical position. He sighed, "Why is it that I see you all only when something terrible is taking place."

"Terrible is a strong word." It was the first time Heero had spoken since they'd checked in.

Duo laughed out loud. "You don't think that you being dropped out of thin air wasn't pretty fucking _terrible_, Heero?"

Heero looked up from his computer, his face completely serious. "That wasn't me. So no."

The braided man swallowed hard. Cold fucking Heero at it again.

"There's one thing I don't understand," Quatre said before Duo interrupted him with a cheeky grin.

"Just _one_ thing, Quat?"

The blond tried to ignore the insatiable man, but still amended his words. "Okay. One of many things I don't understand are the initials left for you, Heero. If our mysterious photographer, or messenger, or what have you, left their initials, obviously they want us to find them, eventually at least."

Duo unfurled his arms from behind his head and scooted into a seated criss-cross position. "Maybe not so obviously. Have you seen Heero's never ending list of possibilities?"

"Hn," Heero grunted in response. "_You_ haven't seen my most recent list, Maxwell."

About to retort, Duo found his words taken right out of his mouth as Trowa spoke up, as if reading his mind. "Care to share it with us, Heero?"

Heero shrugged as if it didn't seem like a priority to him. "Five names. All victims of the war and destruction by the Gundams. Regardless of our intention we have managed to alienate many citizens of the ESUN."

Quatre furrowed his brows in concern. "Yes, but in a time like this, with the Gundams gone, how could there still be so much unrest? Why would someone wait till now to send us these photographs?"

"Whoever it is, their mission was to get us back together." Heero's words hung in the room between the five men. It was damn terrifying how true the statement was. Shit, there they all were, back together in one room like cattle to slaughter. Maybe they'd played straight into their opponent's hands, but if someone was going to mess with one of them, they were inadvertently going to be messing with all of them, regardless of if they were physically together or not.

"I have an interface call with Une in about ten minutes," Wufei changed the subject, glancing at his watch.

"Looks like we'll be having a brief intermission, gentlemen," Duo quipped, nodding in the Chinese man's direction.

Wufei pushed off the wall and turned with a little solute specifically in the braided man's direction before heading down to the hotel's conference center. At this movement Quatre also stood, stretching his thin legs. "I'm in need of some fresh air. I've missed so many beautiful days being underground with the Maganacs."

Duo had to stifle a laugh at how quickly Trowa stood up next to the petite blond. "I'll go with you."

Quatre smiled wanly in his direction and before anymore words were spoken, the two men were gone. It had all happened so fast that Duo hadn't even realized that now he was alone in the room with Heero Yuy, the man still staring intently at his laptop, ignoring his braided companion.

_ Fuck_. Karma nudging at him for snickering at Trowa, no doubt.

Well now what was he supposed to do? He noted to himself to remember to scold Quatre for purposely leaving them to their own devices. He knew the blond well enough to know when he was being pushed. And being pushed into facing his past was not his idea of a relaxing afternoon. He sighed, resigning to the fact that likely none of them would be relaxing, at least not until their apparent stalker was figured out.

"So tell me about the five M.R.'s, Heero." It was Duo's attempt at breaking the ice. It wasn't a good fucking start.

Heero's eyes did not leave the flashing computer screen. "We should all be present. You know that, Maxwell."

Duo shook his head and grinned. "I'm curious. Humor me?"

"Have you ever heard the expression 'curiosity killed the cat?'"

The braided man had to bite the inside of his mouth to keep from laughing. Heero still wouldn't look at him and his tone was so damn monotone that the words sounded completely out of place coming from his mouth. He'd missed this banter with Heero almost as much as he had with Wufei.

Suddenly, feeling a lot braver than earlier when the man's eyes had been regarding him in the rearview mirror, Duo stood up and walked over towards the laptop sitting on Heero's knees. He pushed down the screen until it was closed and waited for a reaction.

The brunette stared up at him quizzically, never truly understanding his oddly childlike ways, sarcastic demeanor, and oftentimes paradoxical disposition. Heero was usually calculating, while Duo was usually spontaneous. Their interactions truly puzzled the man, and yet he couldn't help the tiny feeling of affection he felt towards him. They were grown now, weren't unruly hormones and youthful queries supposed to be beyond them? Besides, it had been three fucking long years...

"Are you really broke?" The abrupt and out of the blue question not only startled Duo, but Heero as well. It took a moment for the other party to respond as he seemed to mull over the odd chain of events silently in his mind.

"No. I get by." Duo could see that the other man wasn't quite convinced, but Heero didn't press the subject.

Instead, he got up from his chair and set the computer down where he had been sitting. He stood in front of Duo, their eyes almost in line, off my a mere inch. Their new proximity caused a pit to form in the braided man's stomach, but he just stared at Heero, waiting for his next move.

"Can I ask you a question?" It was another odd thing for him to say, but Duo nodded anyways.

"You always run away, Maxwell."

"That was a statement, not a question."

"It was supposed to be a question. I meant to ask why. But it is an accurate statement."

Duo, already quite tense, ground his teeth, taking a step back to put a bit more distance between them. Shit, yeah it was accurate, Heero didn't have to keep pointing it out though. "I can make statements too. Your fucking password is my name."

Heero looked down. Embarrassed maybe, or else just guilty. "Yes," was all he said.

Asking 'why' seemed like it would only lead to an argument or the end of their conversation so Duo decided to drop it. Hell, he knew why anyways, he didn't really need to ask.

"You know me, Heero," Duo said, taking several more steps backwards to flop onto the bed again. He had decided to address the man's earlier statement and simply get it the hell over with. He grinned, trying to relieve the tension of the situation with his charm that never seemed to quit. "I run and hide-"

"But you never tell a lie. So answer the damn question, Maxwell."

Duo sputtered, taken aback by Heero's abrupt and harsh words. He crossed his legs atop the bed, feeling his braid get pulled under him as his right leg landed on the chestnut rope's end. He licked his lips and stared up at the still standing man. "Heero, buddy, I mean...it was nothing _personal_..." he paused, unable to come up with the right words. Being sneaky and deceitful: his department. Speaking and divulging emotions: definitely fucking not his department.

"Why are we suddenly playing twenty-questions here?"

"It was one question, Duo."

Dammit. There he went and did it. He had to fucking use his first name and be logical all at the same time. Shit, things were getting real now.

Shrugging, Duo opened his mouth, closed it, and then opened it again, looking down at his criss-crossed legs. "Honestly, Heero, I can't tell you why I left because I don't even fucking know the reason myself." It was something he hated to admit, but it really was the truth. Maybe he was scared, maybe he felt inadequate or unworthy, maybe it was the uncertainty of fuckin' Shinigami, it could have been anything. Hell, he had yet to be able to decipher his own inner turmoil, let alone explain it to Heero.

And why did this man suddenly feel the need to prove his emotional stability? He was never one to speak openly about this sort of thing, even when casual sex was still involved. Shit, three years had managed to make things just that much more confusing.

Heero, possibly out of remorse or else because he simply didn't know how to answer, altered the conversation's course. "The photographs I received were..._interesting_."

"Yeah, mine too."

"They were of you, Duo. No one else. Just you."

Duo's eyes grew dark as he looked up. "Shit. That's fucked up."

Heero stared at him. No, dammit, he stared _straight_ _through_ _him_. Duo felt a chill run down his spine. A moment later Heero was walking out of the room, Duo's eyes trailing after him. When the braided man did not physically follow, Heero popped his head back in and glared. "Coming?"

Furrowing his brows, Duo hopped off the bed. Motherfucking Heero and his lack of people skills. Still, after all this time how could he be so brash and rude? They were having a fucking moment, weren't they? And now what? Duo followed on his heels into another bedroom, this one smaller with only one bed, housing Heero's few belongings.

Duo watched as he pulled an all too familiar manila envelope from his duffle bag, a bag that looked so similar to Duo's own he might have mistaken it. Comes with the territory he supposed, always on the fuckin' move.

"Here." Heero thrust the envelope, heavy with photographs just as Duo's had been, into the man's waiting hands.

With apprehensive fingers Duo peeled open the envelope and poured out a stack of pictures into his hand. His breathing quickened and his heart rate jumped as his eyes roamed through the plethora of images.

Many were from during the war. There was the one he had received, his body leaning on Heero. Others at a boarding school, in the library, on the basketball court. Another where their lips were close, but not touching, maybe coming in to each other or just after breaking an embrace; it was in an alleyway that Duo couldn't place. There was another of him, after the war sometime, with the Preventer version of Wufei in the background and it made his stomach clench.

And then there was one more, just of Duo, now in his present life, his scarred and shaved head, his five o'clock shadow, his squared out jaw line.

The feelings of nausea that Duo had experienced the night he had first received his personalized package of photographs began to resurface. "What the fuck?"

"It makes sense." Heero's words were soft and deep.

Duo looked up, squinting in confusion. "It does?"

"They were trying to get each of our attentions. They were personal about it. Wufei got the autopsy. Quatre and Trowa: their secret visitations. You got your..._friends_." He paused to purse his lips nervously; he knew 'friends' was the bare minimum of accuracy. Taking a deep breath he continued with the hardest realization he'd had to say so far. "Duo, I got..._you_-"

His stammering words were cut off as an explosion ripped through the air outside of their hotel.

Immediately both men ran into the living room towards the window they knew looked out over the hotel's parking lot. They arrived just in time to see a hot blast of fire flying from within the engine of their current vehicle. It was damn fucking lucky that no other cars were parked near the now burning frame, Heero having opted to pull into a spot far from anyone else out of pure habit.

They watched with wide eyes as the entire car became engulfed in flames from the explosion, wondering vaguely if it had been serendipitous, but knowing deep in their guts that it was far fucking from it.

But the most terrifying thing, even aside from the flames licking at every inch of the car's frame, were the dozens of large photographs scattered atop the burning car and trailing to the dark pavement surrounding it.

Duo couldn't stop his hands from trembling as his eyes found a particular picture, it's edges smoldering as embers attacked the photograph. It was an image of himself, his chest barren and glistening with sweat, another man's arms wrapped across his abs from behind. He didn't have to see the half hidden face to know who they belonged to and it _wasn't_ Heero Yuy.

The braided man barely made it to the bathroom, slamming the door behind him, before he was violently sick. Fucking deja vu.

One abhorrent thought ran through his mind, the words playing on repeat like a damn broken record player in Heero's low, velvet voice.

_ Duo, I got...you._


	8. I'll Be Damned If I Don't Wanna Kiss You

**Disclaimer:** I don't own a thing (as sad as that realization is), except for the words I've written.

**Warnings:** Rated for adult language (Duo's got quite a surly mouth and mind), some violence, and mild adult themes.

**A/N:** Here's the next installment, it's a slight bit shorter than normal, but the end is well worth it, in my opinion. Please leave a review and let me know what you think thus far, if you're so inclined. Thank you as always! Enjoy.

* * *

**Maxwell**

**Chapter 8: I'll Be Damned If I Don't Wanna Kiss You**

_Shoulda Known - Atmosphere_

There was a time, somewhere in between his abandonment of Heero, uncharacteristically weak in a hospital bed, and when Preventer visits to his always circulating address became fairly regular, when he and Wufei had reconciled a relationship that had seemed somewhat hostile during the war.

Were they together? Not by any fucking means. It was purely casual and angry and passionate, but still just a fling. Nothing in comparison to Duo's former relationship with a different pilot.

To this day he still wasn't even sure that the Chinese man swung that way and maybe their physical relations had just been a way to let off steam, a hook up, a good fucking lay. And in the end it didn't really matter because as quickly and surprisingly as it had started, it had abruptly ended.

They hadn't spoken of it ever again, all water under the bridge, and all that shit..._until now._

The fire engine had come and gone, leaving a barren and soot covered frame of what once was Heero's car behind in the hotel parking lot. It was taped off with a few Preventers milling about, but Captain Chang had all but bit their heads off when they'd come asking too many questions. Duo figured he had yet to divulge to true gravity of the case he'd been recently entrusted with. Shit, Une probably still didn't even know Heero was alive.

Four men sat in the small living room of their hotel suite, two concerned but obliviously unaware, one staring emotionlessly at his computer screen as if it somehow comforted him, and the last chewing on a thumbnail nervously, mulling over just how to approach the situation, the photograph still burned into his memory. No pun intended.

Duo wondered how and why the fuck someone had so many compromising images of him. Did that realization make him a whore? Hell, at this point it didn't really make much of a difference. The emotion he felt most vividly was of uncomfortable humiliation, like his entire life was being watched through a magnifying glass he'd been unaware of all this time.

After a few more moments of thick silence the fifth man joined his companions, a stack of photographs in his hand. Wufei gave Duo a hard look when he entered the suite. The image of the braided man's bare chest was resting paralyzingly on top of the stack he carried. Of course it was, fuckin' Wufei had to stir the fuckin' pot like always.

The Preventer dropped the pile of photographs on the living room's coffee table, unceremoniously letting them sit there, almost as if to taunt the four men now staring pointedly down at them. Some were more intact than others, unluckily for Duo, the top image of his naked body was very much complete, aside from some charred edges.

"Time bomb planted in the engine," Wufei stated rather blandly, his eyes unable to totally leave the chiseled features of Duo's thin upper body in the photograph.

"A warning. Not intended to kill any of us." Heero finally lifted his eyes and spoke in a knowing way. All four other men nodded their heads in solemn understanding.

Shit, it made sense. They attacked a possible messenger or informant, Preventer or not. Someone was definitely fucking messing with them now, and with each passing second it seemed to be getting more and more personal. A sour taste formed on Duo's tongue.

Slowly, almost painfully slowly, Heero's fingers reached out and grabbed the pile's top photograph. He held it up and studied it and Duo felt his stomach clenching, but it was so empty that he barely even felt nauseous. He watched Heero's eyes, not a single emotion flashing across their blue surface. Fucking stoic son of a bitch.

Wufei stared for a moment as well, but spoke before the braided man could formulate any appropriate words. "_Obviously_ another ruse to pit us against each other." The word 'obviously' was used quite harshly and Duo wondered, almost wide eyed, why Wufei was lying for him.

He may never tell a lie, but hell, that didn't mean people he'd slept with couldn't.

Duo realized that Heero must have been feeling the same emotions he had felt when he'd been delivered the misleading photograph of Heero and Trowa together, though he was doing a much more efficient job of keeping them in check.

Heero pursed his lips, said nothing, nodded his head affirmatively once, and set the photograph down. The arms wrapped around Duo's torso were only connected to a shadowy face, but it wasn't hard to try and guess who it belonged to, especially considering the amount of guilt pouring out of Duo's quite readable indigo eyes. There was no fooling the Perfect Solider.

Both Quatre and Trowa's eyes lifted to meet Duo's, one pair filled with concern and the other with suspicion. He could feel the fucking dry heaves attacking his body again.

As if in some act of mercy, maybe because the tension was becoming unbearably thick, or else he felt some sort of odd remorse for his comrade, Trowa finally spoke, changing the subject. "Any news on our Preventer tail?" He directed the question towards Wufei, his eyes intense as if to say 'you owe me.'

"Sean Davis joined Preventer little over two months ago. He's just a rookie." And just like that it was back to business, Wufei's fucking Preventer protocol voice kicking into action.

"Would he have a grudge against any of us?" Quatre wondered, his voice soft due to the fact that he hadn't spoken once since re-entering the hotel suite.

Duo licked his lips nervously, and then decided to match Wufei's tone with one of his own much less formal 'back to business' voices. "Shit, anyone in the colonies, or Earth for that matter, probably has a grudge against us for one thing or another. Things got pretty fucking gray during the war; we weren't always the good guys."

"We were never the good guys or the bad guys, we were just fucking kids." Heero's voice was harsher than they expected, making Duo wonder if he was channeling anger that may have been welling up inside of him towards a more relevant enemy.

Wufei, ignoring the outburst, explained, "Davis had family in the colonies during the war, but there's no current record of them presently. Could be unaccounted for or-"

"Could be dead." Duo finished the thought. "Shit, there were so many faceless and unaccounted deaths during the war."

The Chinese man nodded with a sigh. "Things are still just as gray as they were during the war. Black and white isn't remotely possible, even nowadays."

"Still, it doesn't make sense. Sean Davis couldn't be the only one involved in this," Quatre said, his brows furrowing over clear aquamarine eyes. "He was a middle man, a hired hand for surveillance, not the master mind behind everything. I thought we already covered that?"

There was a grim silence before finally Heero spoke, low and serious. "He certainly wasn't alone in this, that much is clear. As for everything else-"

"Fuckin' clear as mud." Duo had apparently developed a nasty habit of finishing people's sentences. Though at this point, he mainly seemed to just be filling in the blank of what his comrades were thinking but wouldn't vocalize. Hell, he'd always been the verbose one hadn't he?

"So what of Preventer's involvement?" Trowa wondered, his eyes floating to Wufei.

The man shrugged. "Don't look at me. I just work for them." Duo had to choke back a laugh at the man's sardonic quip.

"Sean Davis is a Preventer and he's also following us. That doesn't mean those two things are related," Quatre suggested, though rather meagerly as he knew it was scraping the bottom of the bowl without the others telling him so. But no one else had any better ideas.

Wufei unfolded the stiff arms that were at his chest. "I'm going to take the list of subjects to the Sanc Preventer office, see if I can get some addresses. We have to start somewhere." He spoke about Heero's list of M.R. initials as though they were suspects waiting to be brutally interrogated.

Quatre's gaze wondered to Duo and gave him a small, but reassuring smile, before standing and facing the Preventer. "We'll go with you," he said, gesturing to Trowa.

Duo thought that Quatre was pretty damn sly in making themselves scarce so he and Heero would be alone, yet again. But at the same time the man did always seem to know what he was thinking, feeling, or needed. Fuckin' empath or some shit.

Wufei nodded, rather begrudgingly Duo noticed, and turned on his heel towards the double bedroom they'd been sharing. The braided man was instantly at his heels. "Can I talk to you?" His voice was anything but casual and calm like he wanted it to be.

He heard a characteristic grunt of disapproval come from Heero, but he chose to ignore it, following the other man into his bedroom. When they were alone and the door was closed, but not completely shut as to attract anymore unwanted assumptions, Wufei set him with a dark glare.

"What do you want now?" His tone was icy and it made Duo's stomach cringe yet again.

"C'mon 'Fei. I just want to talk about that picture-"

Wufei held up his palm. "There is nothing to talk about. I assured Heero of it's purpose in the way of mental and emotional warfare. That's what you want, isn't it?"

Duo bit his lower lip, trying hard to fight back any sarcastic or angry words that might float past his nearly nonexistent filter. He took a deep breath in through his nose and then let it out through his mouth with a huffed sigh. "Yes, but-"

"Look, Maxwell, I'm not going to keep covering for you. Eventually you're just going to have to face facts-"

Now Duo couldn't hold back the emotions that had been bottling up inside. "Facts? We were _never_ together. Not like me and Heero and you fucking know that, 'Fei. Don't make this into anything more than it was." He regretted the words immediately as they left his mouth, but being the fucking impulsive man he was there was nothing he could do about it.

Wufei stared at him, the faintest hint of pain in his dark eyes, but blinked once and it was gone. "Good. Then we have an understanding." He picked up his Preventer jacket from his bed and slung it across his shoulders. "If you'll excuse me." He pushed past Duo and walked out of the bedroom, leaving his braided companion in a state of utter speechlessness. Which, for Duo, was saying a fucking lot.

* * *

The tension in the air after the three men left the hotel suite was so heavy Duo could have sworn he could feel it closing in on him, strangling the breath from his lungs. Fucking emotions and shit, that was all he needed right now.

Duo sat on the couch and watched as Heero's eyes scanned the day's newspaper, his dark, blue eyes moving quickly across the page from left to right in such a rapid motion that it seemed almost improbable that the man was even actually reading the words. He sat in his chair with legs crossed in a lax position so unfamiliar, yet so ordinary that it was incredibly attractive. For some odd reason, in that moment, Duo wanted nothing more than to fling himself at Heero, lips first.

He sighed and placed his chin in the palm of his hand. Things were damn boring without the others there and without the possibility of fucking. Though he certainly didn't miss the awkward drama from earlier.

At the sound, Heero's gaze flicked upwards and his eyes met Duo's sharply. "Alright?"

Duo, not expecting the man to speak, licked his lips. "Fine. Bored as hell, but whatcha gonna do? More than half the team's gone, can't really do any work just the two of us." He was fucking babbling now and he knew it, but shit, somehow Heero was making him uncharacteristically nervous and unsure of himself. Hell, he hadn't felt these kinds of butterflies in years.

Heero eyed him warily, set down his newspaper, and uncrossed his legs. "We could finish our conversation from earlier."

Shit, Duo certainly didn't want to do that. Of course, he also didn't really want to chat about the photograph still staring up at them from the coffee table of he and the shadowy figure of Wufei. There was no fucking way for him to win this time around.

Anxiously Duo brought a hand up to swipe at the shaven part of his head and travel down to the back of his skull, his triceps stretching satisfyingly. "I don't know how much catching up we really need to do, Heero."

There were those eyes, those adorable fucking confused blue eyes. "Catching up? We've barely spoken, I don't think we can call any of what we've said to each other catching up."

Shit, why did Heero have to suddenly be so damn talkative? It was gonna give Duo a panic attack. He was used to talking _at_ Heero, usually about random shit mind you, not talking _with_ him.

The man didn't wait for a response. "Why did you leave?"

"Goddammit we've already been through this-"

"Fine then. Why did you leave and then start sleeping with Chang?"

The question was so forward and abrupt that Duo sputtered, his lower lip hanging slightly as he tried desperately to figure out how to send words from his brain to his mouth. "Heero," his eyes shot to the photograph between them. "It was fucking nothing. Like Wufei said, a ruse."

Heero stared hard, his eyes burning. _The fuck was going on?_ Duo was internally screaming at himself. Did Heero really care that much, even after all these years? Shit, Duo was supposed to be the one with all the clever answers and one liners, not the one trying to dig his way out of his own grave.

Still Heero said nothing. Duo had a bad fucking feeling about this.

As the other man stood and took the several steps it took to get from the chair to the couch, Duo's entire body tensed, wondering if his fist would go for the jaw or stomach first. He clenched his eyes tight, realizing he may as well get it over with, at least maybe Heero would be able to let some of his aggression out before the other three returned.

But the dreaded hit never came.

Instead a pair of familiarly sculpted lips brushed against his own, kissing lightly once, and then a bit more forcefully a second time before pulling back.

Duo's eyes flashed open and he gasped out the breath he had been holding in his lungs. An impulsive shiver ran through his entire body, a feeling he hadn't experienced in a long time. "Fuck."

He stared into Heero's features and watched as the man's thick eyebrows shot up at his whispered word as if to say 'yeah, you wanna?'

Immediately Duo's hands flew to the collar of Heero's shirt and pulled him in for another kiss, this one much more passionate and prolonged. The heat of their mouths together, pulsing against one another, sparked another tremor, this time through both of their bodies.

Sure as fuck did he wanna.


	9. So I Run, Hide, & Tear Myself Up

**Disclaimer:** I don't own a thing (as sad as that realization is), except for the words I've written.

**Warnings:** Rated for adult language (Duo's got quite a surly mouth and mind), some violence, and mild adult themes.

**A/N:** I really do appreciate reviews, but if you can be as specific as possible with praise or criticisms that would be best. I would really like to grow as a writer and so constructive criticism is the most beneficial form. Also, if the last chapter left you wanting more, I am going to apologize and say that I won't be writing smut or anything sexually explicit (not that I don't love those types of stories, because I do, it's just not my style of writing). Thank you for understanding. Onwards to Chapter 9!

* * *

**Maxwell**

**Chapter 9: So I Run, Hide, & Tear Myself Up**

_Capricorn (A Brand New Name) - 30 Seconds To Mars_

They laid in bed afterward, quietly, the only sound being their breathing, simultaneous and relaxed like they'd just blown off steam that had been residing in both of them for the past three years. Hell, apparently they needed a good lay after all.

In the past they might have reveled in the bedroom company, held on to each other, talked, or just slept in the comfort of one another. But they were not touching, just laying there, no words, no emotions, no comfort. Like it was all fucking business and nothing else.

Duo pictured the telltale scar in the recess above Heero's hip and was at least thankful that the man he had 'made love to' was at least the real, living, breathing Heero Yuy. Shit, at least there was that.

And so, even with the warmth residing under his skin from the recent activities, a chill found its way across Duo's body. He had the undeniable urge to get up, walk out the door, and not look back. Hell, he was still so messed up about things with Heero and the man's naked body next to him certainly wasn't helping with the confused set of emotions running sharply down his spine.

"We should get dressed."

Duo turned to face Heero, his words ever fucking logical and blunt. He sat up on his elbow, glancing at the wide open doorway just past the man's dark blue eyes. He grinned, trying to let any humor of the situation override the uncertainty he felt. "Yeah, this might be fucking hard to explain, huh?"

Heero's eyes flicked upwards in a quick roll and then back towards the braided man, a feeling of near offense residing in their dark blue depths. "Not that hard."

Duo laughed uneasily. Heero was being so oddly open that it was turning him on yet again and he didn't know quite what to make of it. Though they still weren't touching, no contact offered at all. But the man was right, clothing did need to go back on soon considering their other companions had been gone for over an hour now and would surely be returning any minute. Begrudging as Duo was about that.

"I need a smoke anyways."

Heero watched as Duo pulled himself from under the slightly wrinkled top sheet and began to retrieve his clothes that were haphazardly scattered about the room. "You shouldn't do that."

Duo pulled on jeans that were probably a little too tight and then stuck arms through a fresh, black button down from his bag, forgoing the buttons and letting it hang open provocatively revealing his toned body. "Do what?"

Heero fixed him with a pointed look. "Smoke."

Duo pursed his lips. "That coming from you, 'Ro? You jump out of fucking buildings and self-destruct and shit. Don't tell me what I shouldn't be doing."

Laughing, Duo found his bag and pulled out a nearly full carton of cigarettes and a small, silver lighter. He didn't smoke to the point of bad habit, hell he'd been trying to quit actually, but sometimes he just damn well needed one.

"I can't tell you what to do, but I can suggest what not to do, Duo." Heero's words were quiet, as if he felt uncomfortable chastising his companion. Shit, Duo knew the man was all about treating his body like a fucking temple. That was pretty obvious, he was gorgeous after all, but still some habits die hard, even little ones like an occasional smoke.

Duo nodded towards Heero. "I know, I know. Don't worry, I only smoke when I've got a lot on my mind." He pointed a finger up to his temple. "And right now, there's a fucking lot." He smiled, though he knew the statement was heavy in the air, and turned to walk out onto the room's adjoining patio.

Sliding the glass door shut behind him, Duo let out the deep sigh he had been holding in. Dammit, what had just happened? How many hours had it been since he'd thought Heero was dead? And now they were fucking and his mind was a blur. This wasn't right, was it? And to do it in the room he and Wufei had been sharing...shit he _really_ didn't want to think about that.

He tapped the carton and pulled out a single cigarette, letting it rest between his lips while he put the box into his back pocket and flicked the lighter to conjure a flame. He took a few thoughtful puffs and let the cigarette burn between his fingers while he leaned on the railing with his forearms.

Could he and Heero really be slipping back into their old ways so quickly? Or was this something more than just adolescent hormones? The last time they'd done this they'd been teenagers. Hell, Duo may have still acted like a teenager, but even he knew better about these things now, at least he'd like to think he did.

Fuck. Things couldn't possibly get more complicated, could they?

As Duo gazed out across the parking lot of the hotel and across the street towards a cluster of shops and restaurants in a small strip mall, his eyes nearly deceived him. He mentally groaned at himself for thinking too soon; apparently things _could_ get more complicated.

Sitting in a Crown Vic parked fairly obviously across the street was an ordinary looking man with light, cropped hair, a garbage bag taped across his window, his face shaded slightly, but still recognizable with a splint across his nose. _Sean Davis._

"Shit," Duo grumbled, reaching down to stub out his half finished cigarette on the cement of the patio. He left the butt laying there, unconsciously hoping that it would provoke the Preventer he was sharing the room with. That man's body was a fucking temple too, it seemed.

He pushed open the glass door and watched for a moment as Heero pulled on the white, collared shirt he'd been wearing earlier tucked into slacks, the man choosing to redo his own buttons as opposed to Duo.

"You might be in trouble, Heero."

Heero looked up from his buttons, but his face was unreadable. "Why?"

"That Preventer's parked across the street."

"The same one?"

"The one and only. I think you fucking broke his nose."

"Did he see you?" Heero finished the last button.

Duo shook his head. "I don't think so. But obviously he knows we're here."

"What is he doing?"

Duo folded his arms and fit Heero with a serious look. Shit, _why_ did things have to be so complicated? "He's just sitting there. Like he's waiting for something."

* * *

When Wufei, Trowa, and Quatre returned they found their two other companions sitting on the couch, just where they'd left them. Though there was something different, less sexual tension, but more confusion now.

Wufei was the first to speak, staring pointedly at Duo's casually open shirt. "You're still here."

Duo screwed up his brows. "No I'm a fucking optical illusion," he deadpanned with immediate venom in his voice. "Why the hell wouldn't I be here?"

Wufei shrugged. "When we left it was just..._tense_."

"What? You think I was gonna run out because things got a little fucking more complicated? Geezus, have some faith 'Fei." He knew the man was doing it just to get a rise out of him, and hell he sure couldn't resist. He'd been fucking craving that running dialogue for a while now, hadn't he?

Heero's hand surprisingly found its way onto the braided man's knee in an attempt to calm him. Wufei stared at the touch for a moment too long before turning away.

"What did you find out?" Heero asked, choosing to address the question towards Quatre and Trowa.

Quatre handed him a manila folder filled with papers. "Addresses, history, occupations, family, the usual things," he answered evenly.

"Did you happen to see our little friend outside?" Duo asked, also choosing to ignore the Preventer now standing behind the couch, not in his direct line of sight.

Trowa nodded. "He was there when we left. Still there now in the same position."

"Yeah, I fucking noticed him when I was out...getting some fresh air." Duo decided to leave the part about smoking on the balcony out of his statement in order to avoid more chastising that would surely come in the form of an infamous Quatre Winner lecture.

"And what did Une have to say?" Heero wondered, his gaze finally finding its way back to Wufei.

The Chinese man stared at him hard for a moment before answering. "As far as I can tell the investigation is still open and she knows we're all back together now." He shrugged. "I don't know if she knows you're alive yet."

"Hn." Heero averted his eyes. "She'll find out eventually. Then what?"

"Then the investigation is closed."

"Not necessarily," Quatre spoke up. "When you were gathering data she asked me some peculiar questions regarding Winner Corp. Something about new research opportunities, but I told her I hadn't been informed of any new projects." His brows furrowed. "She seemed suspicious."

"It was as if she made it a point to talk with him confidentially," Trowa added from beside the petite man. He wore a thoughtful expression, wheels turning behind his green eyes.

Duo scratched the back of his head. "She never mentioned anything about those damn photographs or our new friend outside?" It was a question not directed at anyone in particular.

Wufei shook his head. "She doesn't believe they have a relevance in this particular case. And that we can't legally touch Davis without probable cause." His eyes flickered to Heero for a hard second.

Duo turned to face the man with a glare, his frustration with Preventer being immediately channeled towards Wufei in regards to his first statement. "Like hell they don't! They _are_ the fucking case, Heero isn't dead!"

Wufei just stared at him, expressionless. Duo clenched his teeth. Stupid, fucking Preventer.

Their odd stare down was cut off by Trowa's voice, his thoughtfulness turning into an air of possibility. "Think about it from Preventer's perspective. They find and ID the body of Heero Yuy. Or at least a body with his fingerprints. He's an ex-Gundam pilot and does freelance work for the Vice Foreign Minister, making him quite a target," he paused, as if to let this new information sink in. "But they know that all of his old allies are still around the ESUN somewhere. It's not the first time we would have attempted killing one of our own."

"Preventer suspects us?" Duo wondered incredulously.

"No," Trowa shook his head. "I think they dismiss us as suspects, but when they get nowhere after that they decide to use us to their advantage. One of us is a Preventer after all and even if we don't believe so, they have to have been tracking us all these years." At this Duo snorted with a nod, his eyes flicking to Wufei who stood with his arms stiff across his chest, listening.

Trowa went on. "They've got a freelance investigative team sitting right under their nose. So they put Wufei on the case, they send us those pictures, they round us up because they know how to get at each one of us. After we are back together they know we're going to look for answers, one of our own is dead after all. Preventer knows they can watch us and piggy-back on whatever we do or find."

"That's ridiculous," Wufei bit out, still wearing his Preventer issue jacket.

Duo hated to admit it but, shit he was with Wufei on this one. He narrowed his eyes. "All that just to find one guy's fucking murderer?" Heero shot him a look that made Duo smirk and hold back a few chuckles. "No offense, Yuy."

Shrugging, Trowa nodded. "It does seem like a long shot, but we don't have much else to go on, other than those names." He gestured towards the envelope in Heero's hands. "We have a Preventer tail, it just seemed logical to think they were involved more than we think."

Hell, Trowa always was the calculating, logical thinker, wasn't he? Duo clenched his fists. It did sort of make sense, it was plausible, but it did seem like a fucking lot of work for Preventer just for one measly case of murder that wasn't even murder. Of course, _they_ didn't know that.

Quatre sighed. "Maybe it's not just about that murder. Une seemed very invested in finding out about Winner Corp research. Though I really couldn't give her any answers, she seemed somewhat satisfied with us just having the conversation."

"Trowa does make some sense," Heero said, nodding in the tall man's direction. "I'm still here and not being charged with assault because Preventer figures a broken nose is the price of doing business."

Duo stared at him with wide eyes. Hell, it made complete sense when Heero put it that way. A smile found its way onto his lips as he stared at the man with appreciation for his logical input. He thought of how Preventer had tried to 'hire him on' as if they 'desperately needed him' and wondered if maybe the organization was playing at something bigger than they'd originally thought. "Only one way to find out. Take a walk and talk to Davis," Duo said, turning to the others.

Wufei nodded curtly. "Quatre should go, he wasn't with us when we attacked him so the guy probably won't shoot him."

His humor was dry and Duo appreciated it, as he always did, nearly having forgotten their bitter words earlier that day. "I'll go with you, Quat. Just in case you need some back up."

"I can't say the same for you, Maxwell. You probably _will_ get shot," Wufei said in a complete monotone, though their was a hint of mirth in his voice.

Duo glared at him. "Hey, I'm not the one that gave him a fucking busted nose!"

Heero grunted. "You held him for me. I'd say that makes you an accomplice."

Shaking his head, Quatre smiled at the other men's banter. "I'll make sure no one get's shot. Like Heero said, I don't think they are planning on harming us."

At that Duo stood, stretching his thin frame upwards and realizing his shirt still hung open, fairly provocatively. His fingers quickly found the buttons as he walked towards the door after Quatre.

But before they could make their exit, Wufei was at Duo's side, shoving the butt of a pistol that Duo remembered leaving in his duffel bag into his side. "Be careful, Maxwell. He may be a Preventer, but we still don't know who's side he's on at the moment."

Duo, nearly shocked by the actual amount of care in the man's voice, took the gun and stuck it in the back waistband of his jeans, hiding it beneath his shirt. "Yeah, okay, 'Fei."

As they entered the hallway and the door closed behind them, Quatre turned towards his braided friend with a slight smirk on his face. "I think we have quite a lot of catching up to do."

Duo groaned, rubbing two hands over his face, his emotions flying off the chart. "Fucking tell me about it, Quat."

* * *

By the time they made it downstairs and were walking through the hotel's modern lobby, the dynamic of their conversation had moved from fuck buddies, romantic interests, and emotional confusion to a subject Duo hated that everyone kept bringing up.

"Why do you always run, Duo?"

"I don't _always_ run," Duo answered, turning to the blond with a scowl.

Quatre gave him a sad, apologetic smile as they pushed through the hotel's large, glass front doors. "You could have kept in touch."

Duo shook his head, the scowl not fading, though his eyes stared hard at his feet as they walked. "That's a slippery slope." He sighed. "If I kept in touch then I'd have to have some sort of fucking mailing address or phone number and that means bills and responsibility and filling out forms and shit."

"Most people do that," Quatre pointed out.

"Yeah, well I ain't 'most people,' Quat."

"Okay. You don't have to tell me _why_ you run, but you could tell me who you're running _from_."

Duo stared at him. _Sneaky little bastard!_ Instead of letting the question visibly irritate him, he smiled deviously and heaved his shoulders up and down once nonchalantly. "From being like 'most people,' I guess."

"I'm like 'most people.' I have a mailing address and a phone number. I fill out forms."

"To each his own."

"Duo." Quatre's voice was deeper now, like he damn well meant this was going to be a serious conversation and Duo better take it damn well seriously.

Duo put his hands in his pockets. They were almost across the parking lot now. "Fine. I'm running"

"From what? Being ordinary?"

"From how things used to be."

"Things are nothing like they used to be, Duo," Quatre retorted.

Duo narrowed his eyes. "Shit, things are getting more and more like they used to be every fucking day around here." He pictured Heero's bare chest in his mind and clenched his eyes shut, willing himself not to think about that right now.

Quatre placed a tentative hand on the man's forearm, stopping their trek to the Crown Vic for a moment. "Duo, what's really going on?" he asked, great concern in his aqua-blue eyes.

Duo stared at him, trying hard to hide any unnecessary emotion. Though he figured that would be fucking impossible around Quatre. It always had been impossible in the past. "Ever since we've all been back together I've been looking at you, and everyone else for that matter, and it's like this fucking thing in the back of my mind keeps telling me how shitty I must seem to you. You're all making it and, well, I'm just the same fucking guy from the war."

Quatre narrowed his eyes and frowned. "Duo that's not true at all."

Duo raised his brows and smirked. "Look at me, Quat."

Quatre shook his head and matched his smirk. "All that we've got that you don't are cell phones."

"But what have I got that you don't?" Duo countered, his eyes growing dark beneath unruly bangs. He ran a hand unconsciously over the shaved side of his head, feeling the scar tissue beneath his fingertips.

Quatre stared at him for a moment longer, but didn't have an answer. So the two kept moving towards the Crown Vic, their original mission flittering back to their minds and Duo's fingers moving from his head to behind his back to check on the loaded pistol. Just in case.


	10. Those Eyes, Sweet Lies

**Disclaimer:** I don't own a thing (as sad as that realization is), except for the words I've written.

**Warnings:** Rated for adult language (Duo's got quite a surly mouth and mind), some violence, and mild adult themes.

**A/N:** Thank you for your awesome reviews! Here's a bit longer chapter, let me know what you think. Don't worry, the foundation setting is finally coming to an end and the action is about to pick up after this. Enjoy.

* * *

**Maxwell**

**Chapter 10: Those Eyes, Sweet Lies**

_Rumble And Sway - Jamie N Commons_

When Quatre and Duo arrived at the Crown Vic, the braided man's hand still about his weapon, though over his shirt as to not pull too much suspicion his way, he realized that maybe they really didn't need such protection.

Sean Davis slowly rolled down his window, the passenger side covered in a garbage bag that Duo had noticed from his balcony view. He nearly winced at the site of the splint across the young man's face; Heero had done a fucking number on him.

"Taking a nice little stroll, boys?" Davis said, his voice deep and almost nasally due to his obvious injury. Both men shared an uneasy glance between each other. It was quite odd behavior for a tail to be chatting with them so casually. But hell, they were there for the same reason, weren't they? And he obviously wasn't just an ordinary tail.

"How's your nose, Davis?" Duo chided, purposely using the man's name to show him they were very well aware of his identity and involvement within Preventer.

The man grunted, but did not answer. _Touche_, Duo thought, _he's not here to play games_. Though he fucking would have liked to play at least a little bit. He was getting tired of searching for wisecracks and ways to annoy the men he'd been shacking up with as of late. Shit. He cringed internally at using the phrase 'shacking up.'

Quatre decided to take a different approach. "I'm assuming you aren't about to tell us why you're following us?" he wondered in his casually diplomatic voice.

The man kept staring, contemplating his answer, and giving the two drastically different men a once over. "All in due time. I have my orders."

"Yeah, but just where the hell are those orders coming from?" Duo was getting slightly fed up now. He leaned his arm on the top edge of the car door and bent to peer at the man in the driver's seat through darkening eyes.

"Mr. Maxwell." It was fuckin' bizarre hearing his name coming from the stranger's mouth, especially prefaced with 'Mr.'

Duo narrowed his eyes as the man kept speaking. "I have done absolutely nothing to harm any of you. If you think I had something to do with that car bomb, you are gravely mistaken."

Duo snorted out a laugh. "Shit, yeah you were unconscious in the backseat of your car, huh?" He figured a little more salt in the wound wouldn't hurt.

Quatre cleared his throat as if to apologize unnecessarily for his friend's words. "We are just trying to get things straight here, Mr. Davis."

Davis held up the palm of his hand to stop anymore conversation. "I understand. But I also have my orders. So if you'll excuse me." With that he rolled up his window, but did not start the car or make any attempt to move his vehicle from its watchful position.

Duo glared at him for a second through the glass before turning on his heel and heading back towards the hotel at a quick gate, Quatre not far behind him.

"What a dick."

"Easy, Duo. He's only doing his job. And obviously he is working for Preventer. Maybe he _is_ just supervising the investigation-"

Duo turned his head swiftly. "You really think Une trusts Wufei that little?"

"No. I think Une probably doesn't trust all of us now that we are back together. Our track record is admittedly not the most reliable." Quatre shook his head solemnly.

Clenching his fists, Duo responded through grit teeth. "I still don't trust Davis. Something's off here, Quat."

Quatre had to admit that all the evidence and instances piling up around them did seem to point to something much bigger than the case Wufei was originally entrusted with. Not to mention the emotions that seemed to be floating between the five pilots now that they were all occupying one living space together. He pinched the bridge of his nose as they entered the lobby again; he was in desperate need of some aspirin.

* * *

Heero watched as Quatre popped some white pills into his mouth, washing them down with a large glass of water. He stared back down to the papers he'd been studying and had an inkling feeling in the back of his mind.

When the two men had come back from their 'conversation' with Sean Davis things were obviously tense. Duo seemed characteristically impulsive and Quatre had apparently given up trying to reconcile his angry feelings towards the mysterious Preventer.

The explanation of what had happened upon reaching the Crown Vic was short and simple.

"He didn't shoot us," Duo had said.

"What did he say?" Wufei had wondered.

"Some bullshit. He didn't confirm or deny anything. So basically we're back where we started," Duo had answered.

"Was he angry about his nose?" Trowa had asked.

Quatre had given him a quiet smile through the pained look on his face. "He didn't say, but he seemed pretty embarrassed."

And that had been the extent of their conversation. Now they were just sitting in absolute silence.

Heero's eyes flicked to Duo, sitting cross legged on the couch next to him, picking at some dirt beneath his short fingernails. Trowa sat at the hotel room's small kitchen counter, engrossed in something flashing across Heero's lap top screen. Wufei pushed through the front door, a large paper bag full of take-out in his arms.

"It's about time!" Duo hopped up to help Wufei with the food.

Heero also rose from his seated position, but made his way towards Quatre, who was now washing his cup in the sink.

"Quatre, I'm handing this information off to you."

Looking up, Quatre gave Heero a quizzical glance. "Why, Heero? They're your leads-"

Heero shook his head. "I trust your strategic skills _and_ your judgement."

Trowa looked up from the computer screen in front of him, but did not say a word. Quatre's eyes flashed to the tall man and then back to Heero, but did not answer as Duo plopped down the bag he'd retrieved from Wufei down on the counter. "Save us all a lot of trouble and just agree, Quat," Duo said with a grin and a flirtatious wink in Heero's direction. Oh how he missed making the Japanese man blush!

Heero, fighting back said blush, glowered at the braided man, but swiftly turned his attention back to Quatre. "You're a natural leader and we should take advantage of that." His gaze flicked up. "As long as that's acceptable with you, Chang?" His words were icier than they needed to be.

Wufei gave him a blank look and nodded. "Of course. The investigation seems to be straying away from Preventer's original case anyways."

Looking slightly flustered, Quatre took the packet of information from Heero and set it on the counter before him, staring at it warily. They were all gathered in the small kitchen now as Duo rummaged through the paper bag in order to pass around the plastic containers of Vietnamese cuisine from a little place down the street the front desk had recommended.

They all ate in relative silence, the only sound being a twenty-four hour news channel playing softly on the flat screen television. Heero and Duo occupied the couch while the others hung back in the kitchen. Quatre studied the M.R. information while he ate.

Sitting next to Heero on the couch made Duo have to forcibly resist the urge to flop his legs down across the other man's lap in a casual sort of way. It was almost as if they weren't in a hotel room in Sanc with the other three ex-pilots investigating who their stalker was with Preventer seemingly breathing down their necks. No, it was almost as if they were just fucking ordinary people enjoying each other's company and eating take-out in comfortable silence together.

He wondered if Trowa and Quatre ever felt this awkward within each other's company, but then he remembered their apparent visits over the past several years. He smirked lightly at the thought. They were seemingly perfect for eachother after all, a much better match than he and Heero. Though he supposed that might be subjective; for all he knew the other men's relationship was just as dysfunctional as their own...well whatever the hell you'd want to call it.

As he finished his food, Duo turned slightly, leaning his back against the arm of the couch, his eyes glancing to Heero's unreadable features and then towards the kitchen. Wufei was engrossed in the day's newspaper, while Trowa and Quatre cleaned up after themselves with an air of domestication about them that made it seem as though they'd been doing such ordinary things like eating dinner and tidying the kitchen together for a long time. They followed each other, mirrored every movement. Perfectly timed, perfectly succinct.

With a rough sigh, Duo rose from his seat and unceremoniously dropped his empty take-out container in trash can. He leaned against the counter, still focussed on the petite blond and his taller companion. How had they stayed so in sync with each other, even now in their new lives, post-war, while he and Heero seemed to be so damn utterly out of sync?

Wufei cleared his throat next to him, causing the braided man's attention to switch to the newspaper the Preventer held up, obscuring his face. Instead of giving the man a challenging look, like he was normally accustomed to for old time's sake, his eyes found a particular article that jumped out to him from the backside of the paper.

He poked a finger at the title. "Look at this, 'Fei."

Wufei closed the paper and gave the man a pointed look, quirky a lithe eyebrow upwards, but flipped the editorial over in his hands until he was staring at the back page. His eyes narrowed. "A grant proposal from a former employee of Winner Corp?" he muttered under his breath, skimming the article. Duo leaned forward, trying his best to read upside-down what he hadn't already been able to before pointing out the oddity to Wufei.

Upon hearing his last name, Quatre turned away from an engrossing conversation with Trowa, his ears perking. "What about Winner Corp?"

Heero had now joined them in the kitchen, following suit with throwing his container in the trash before walking to peer over Wufei's shoulder to have a closer look at the article now the center of the five men's attention.

"A former employee of Winner Corp, an L4 satellite branch, is requesting grants for an unknown research opportunity," Wufei replied, rather blandly as he continued to skim the article.

Duo squinted. "Obviously it's not too unknown otherwise this article would have never made it into the newspaper."

"Is there a name?" Quatre asked.

Wufei shook his head slowly, his eyes finally peeling from the paper to meet aqua. "No. It just states that said researcher was employed for about a year at the Corporation."

"Shit, what's the point of putting something like this in the paper with no name and so little fuckin' information?" Duo looked to Trowa and then to Heero, hoping the logical parts of their brains would kick in at the prompting question.

Heero's shoulders stiffened. "It's a plea to get the public's attention, or Preventer's-"

"Or ours," Trowa finished his statement, his lips setting in a grim line.

"This is what Une was speaking to me about. This article must have prompted our odd conversation earlier," Quatre explained, running a hand through his hair rather nervously.

Duo huffed another sigh, placing his chin in the palms of his hands and his elbows on the counter. "But this couldn't have anything to do with Heero's body double or our shitty-ass stalker...could it?"

Heero's eyes flickered to Quatre and Duo noticed, immediately realizing that he truly was relinquishing power of operations to their blond comrade. Quatre returned the gaze with slight apprehension before clutching the packet of information in his hands yet again.

"The only way to find out," Quatre began. "Is to start some investigating on our own. I've taken the liberty to divide these names up amongst us for the sake of efficiency. Though, at this point I don't think any of us should be traveling alone."

Duo almost laughed at that, knowing full well he would have paired himself up with Trowa on purpose. He wondered uncomfortably which of the other two men he would find himself with...surely not both? That would be just fucking asking for trouble.

Wufei, as if reading the braided man's mind, spoke up immediately. "I'll take an assignment on my own, Quatre." It wasn't a request, but more of a demand.

Quatre nodded, having expected this much. Wufei was never one to work on a team or with a partner, and besides their numbers didn't exactly match up and sending a particular threesome out to investigate might result in only two coming back. Which two, was a whole different question.

He handed Wufei a stack of papers. "Mizzerahi Ryland. L4-A4004. Former Oz solider, he is conveniently enough employed through Winner Corp now," he explained. "While you're there you can check out the satellite branch of the Corporation and see if you can learn anything about the research grant proposal." He spoke in such a systematic way that Duo was nearly thrown headfirst back into the war as Quatre gave orders like a seasoned strategist.

Without waiting for response, Quatre was already handing Heero his own stack of documents. "Michael Richardson. London, England. Former data analysis dispatcher for the White Fang. Worked heavily with the Zero System."

He looked towards Duo with a knowing glint in his large eyes. "You and Duo can take this on together, I trust?" His words were directed at Heero, but his gaze never left his braided companion, almost as if to catch a reaction. Duo gave none, though it was fucking difficult to hide both his concern and excitement at the proposition.

Heero nodded in affirmation, accepting the fucking mission as usual. Always with that 'Perfect Solider' act.

Quatre then turned to Trowa for a slight moment. "We will take Matthew Rook. L1-A0305. Another man formerly employed by Oz." He turned back to the group. "That will leave only one name left to be investigated."

Duo's brows furrowed. "I thought there were _five_ names on that list?"

Quatre gave him and the other four men a solemn look, then took the newspaper from Wufei's hands and turned back to the front page. On it was an image of destruction, no doubt a bombing attack. Duo recognized the carnage instantly, his hand instinctively flying to the shaven side of his head.

"Marner Reitveld perished in a terrorist attack. He was our fifth name. Leaving only one left."

Wufei grabbed the paper back, clutching at it stiffly as he looked over the article, reading names of some of the better known deceased. Reitveld had been a five star general during the war. A pit of dread began to well in all of their stomachs. Could this have to do with their investigation, or was it possible the man's death was purely happenstance? A horrible, ice-like feeling ran down Duo's spine at the hellish thought.

Heero swallowed. "We have our assignments. If we are to contact one another, use the vaguest possible ways of speaking about anything pertaining to this conversation right now." Quatre nodded in agreement at the sound advice.

Duo rubbed at his temples in a frustrated manner. "Even the fuckin' walls have ears...and _eyes_, huh?"

Heero placed a hand on Duo's knee underneath the countertop, nearly making the other man flinch at the touch. There were no words exchanged, but it was an acknowledgment of just how true his statement unfortunately was.

* * *

The flight into London, England was short and sweet, though Duo still found himself restless and in need of a good stretch...or maybe a good lay. He shook his head in an attempt to physically shake the lewd thoughts from his mind. It was mission time and he knew how Heero felt about his missions.

It was nighttime, nearly midnight now and the air outside was damp with moisture. When they walked into the hotel that Quatre had somehow managed to book for them it was all business. Heero checked them in under the false name he'd been bestowed by their new, fearless leader, while Duo surveyed the lobby. The place was, again, much more lavish than what Duo might have chosen for such a short lived trip, but hell, he figured he might as well enjoy the luxury while it lasted. All on the Winner Corp tab to boot.

As they entered the room they were to be sharing, a shiver ran down his spine as both their eyes found the sight of a king size bed staring back at them. "Shit," Duo muttered under his breath. He shook his head, wanting desperately to rip Quatre a new one for such a presumptuous and prodding move on his part.

Heero, though having also paused to stare at the singular bed, didn't seem to be as frazzled by the thought as Duo. Or maybe it was that he was just too fucking good at hiding his stress from his companion. Duo desperately hoped it was the latter.

"You know, Quat's a great strategist and all, but for once his intuition may have been a bit fucking skewed," Duo smirked out, again trying to hide his discomfort behind categorical humor.

Heero turned as he set down his duffle bag in one of two chairs that sat by a small table. "You're really that concerned about the bed?"

Duo shook his head slowly, his brows screwing up. "Well...no." He had no fucking clue how to answer such a question. Were he and Heero really going to sleep in the same bed just like that? No awkwardness, no contact, no temptation? Or was the man implying other things...

Shit, Duo couldn't read him at all and it bothered his so devastatingly that he could feel a cold sweat forming at the nape of his neck. Earlier that day they'd been in bed together, post-fuck, not a single emotion running between them, not even in the form of physical contact. It had all been so calculating, so necessary, so passionate and yet so..._detached_. Just another fucking mission.

Heero obviously didn't buy his answer and when he moved forward, closing the gap between them, Duo took a step backwards, the inside of his knees hitting the bed sharply, causing his body to fall into a sitting position atop the muted duvet.

Heero stared at him in that peculiar Heero Yuy way, like he was studying him, sizing him up, trying his hardest to understand the braided man before him. Duo stared back, letting his duffle drop unceremoniously towards the floor with a soft thud.

"What do you want from me, Duo?" Heero's questions were becoming more and more stress inducing. Since when did he get so verbal with his feelings? Duo opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out, so instead he just shrugged weakly, averting his eyes to the floral carpet beneath their feet.

In an instant he felt fingers run through his bangs, brushing them from his eyes. When he looked up, Heero withdrew his hand almost as if he was unsure if he had gone too far. But hell, they'd been fucking earlier, what difference did it make at this point if the man wanted to touch his hair?

Duo sighed roughly, it made a huge fucking difference and they both new it. That kind of touch was personal..._intimate_.

The braided man finally found his voice. "You know what I want, Heero." _Yeah, he sure as fuck knows what I want...him! All of him, all to myself. _It wasn't too hard to figure that one out.

Heero frowned. "I apologize if I acted out of line in Sanc." The statement was so characteristic of the man that it actually made Duo grin. There was the Heero he knew.

"Not out of line at all, 'Ro," Duo answered, thinking of the way he'd anticipated a punch, but received a kiss instead. Oh how he was craving those lips again right now.

Duo stood now, a new confidence rising in his gut at Heero's obvious ignorance. How could he have thought there was nothing there? Just because they hadn't had time to fucking cuddle or any of that shit didn't mean this wasn't real. This was more damn real that anything he'd ever experienced before.

As Duo rose, Heero stepped backward and the braided man followed, almost challengingly. The dark blue eyes he stared powerfully into reflected a confusion that only made Duo advance again. Finally, as Heero's back collided softly with the wall behind him, Duo knew he had won.

If Heero really felt bad about 'taking advantage' of him in Sanc then maybe it was time to return the favor.

In an instant Duo had pulled the other man in for a long, passionate kiss, his tongue wandering impulsively. Heero, unable to resist the teasing nibbles assaulting his lower lip, fought back, pushing his hands hard into Duo's body, roving over his muscles, his mouth exploring the other man's lips ravenously.

It only took a few more seconds before they found themselves sprawled on the king size bed in a passionate embrace, Heero's hands pinning Duo to the bed out of sheer compulsion.

And then, just as quickly as they'd fallen into each other, Heero pulled back. He stared down at the man beneath him, his mind analyzing the situation. Duo reached a hand up to the back of his neck to pull him back in, his eyes half-lidded now, but Heero resisted rather forcefully.

_Why the fuck did he have to spoil the fun with thinking and logic?_ Duo screamed in his head as the slightly lustful fog began to lift. Finally they were touching again, finally getting somewhere, he hoped at least, and now they were stopped, simply entangled on a bed that had purposely been given to them for a reason. So why were they fighting that reason?

"Maybe we shouldn't." Heero stated softly. Duo never associated the man with the word guilty, but that's almost how his words sounded. Was he leading him on through the apparent need for sex? Shit, at this point he didn't care. He didn't even care if their stalker was going to document them through the goddamn window! All he cared about now was Heero.

Duo shook his head slowly from side to side staring up into dark blue. Heero didn't want this? But his eyes, his fucking beautiful eyes, said otherwise. Why the hell was he lying?

"We've got a fuckin' king size bed all to ourselves and you're tellin' me 'maybe we shouldn't?'" Duo shot back incredulously, his eyes still slightly glazed over with anticipation. He clenched his teeth and pulled Heero back in for another kiss, which was only momentarily resisted.

Sure as hell, those eyes weren't lying.


	11. Chasing Down The Days Of Fear

**Disclaimer:** I don't own a thing (as sad as that realization is), except for the words I've written.

**Warnings:** Rated for adult language (Duo's got quite a surly mouth and mind), some violence, and mild adult themes.

**A/N:** You're continued support and reviews are so appreciated. This is one of my favorite chapters thus far, the actions picking up a bit. Let me know what you think of it.

* * *

**Maxwell**

**Chapter 11: Chasing Down The Days Of Fear**

_The Miracle (Of Joey Ramone) - U2_

Duo stared down at the eyes below him, watching blandly as the life seemed to filter out of their blue depths with each passing second. The fingers wrapped around his victim's throat were pulled tight across the delicate skin of the man's neck, leaving bruising marks beneath them without an inkling of hesitation.

Death was something he was so unconditionally accustomed to. Feeling the lifelessness of a body in his arms, watching flesh rip from bones and blood drain from slashing wounds. He was the fucking God of Death, Shinigami in its rawest form.

And this moment was no different.

He squeezed against the windpipe harder now, watching as the man beneath him struggled for air instinctively, his face contorted in a natural, human panic. It didn't even phase the braided man. He merely watched with quiet curiosity, strangling his victim with ease.

There was a moment of familiarity and he thought for a split second that his conscience was finally awakening. He looked into those eyes and a spark registered within his mind, but his hands still crushed down around the man's throat. It was too late for him now anyways.

You don't mess with fucking Shinigami.

And you don't fall in love with him either.

* * *

Duo shot up in bed, a cold sweat enveloping his entire body. It was morning now, that much he could tell as a faint outline of sunlight filtered in behind a pair of thick curtains still drawn across the hotel room window.

His fingers shakily ran through chestnut bangs, damp now from his restless sleep and those fucking nightmares.

He squeezed his eyes shut, bringing the heels of his hands up to rub at them until he saw nothing but pressurized darkness in their depths. Shit, he hadn't had dreams like those in a long time now. He had, quite naively, thought they were finally a thing of his past. But how fucking wrong he was.

Duo removed his hands from over his heavily lidded eyes and blinked them open, their gaze immediately averting to an empty pillow next to his. Heero was conspicuously absent.

Last night he had pushed so hard, maybe too hard. He'd received one half of what he desired, a damn good portion; the sex was as amazing as ever. But the other half, the words, the discussion he longed for, the answers, those he did not receive. Why did he have to push so goddamned hard?

Shaking his head, his mussed braid swinging against his back, Duo stood up, stretching his arms up towards the ceiling, wondering if Heero had left for reasons other than a need for caffeine or more reconnaissance for the ever pressing mission.

Deciding he hoped his companion hadn't abandoned him like he was always impulsively tempted to do, Duo decided a hot shower might benefit him. Hell, at least he would be somewhat presentable when the other man made his return. And he used _when_ not _if_ to try and somewhat assure himself of that return.

This was something he was unused to. Wanting Heero to return and wanting to still be here when he did get back. This was usually his cue to leave, to run, to hide away and make an appearance sometime later on when he needed the comfort of Heero's skin against his own again. It would have been a perfect opportunity to make his escape, but there were so many fucking things holding him back; the investigation, 'Fei, the photographs, damn Preventer. And maybe so was Heero and that incessant need to figure out just what the hell they were doing together.

He was fucking scared but he still stepped into the shower and tried to fight down his impulses to disappear by doing the normal, human morning rituals.

The hot, nearly scalding, water felt magical over his surprisingly sore muscles, boring into his skin, creating a massage against his body's surface. He knew he would have bags under his eyes, those were fucking inevitable after a restless sleep. But he hoped so badly that Heero wouldn't associate his sleepless night with _him_. Though he may have played a sickeningly starring role in the bad dreams, Duo knew, after all this time, that they were rooted in his mind for bigger reasons that Heero's return into his life. Shinigami loved to fuck with his mind like that.

So instead of thinking about that, which might have triggered another episode or spilling of his guts, Duo thought about the mission. He unfurled his braid and let the warm water soak through to his scalp, even the scars on the exposed side of his head relishing in the sensation.

The photographs flashed across his memory. The ones Heero had shown him, the ones of just himself or he and Heero together. The one of his bare chest, a pallid arm wrapping around it provocatively. He desperately wanted Heero to believe that one was a ruse, but he knew the man wasn't that damn ignorant.

And then Sean Davis' smug face caught in his mind. Duo unconsciously clenched his fists, the shower pelting the back of his neck and tops of his shoulders in an almost soothing manner. Why the Preventer made him so uneasy he wasn't certain, but he knew he sure as hell didn't trust the man...

His train of thought was broken abruptly by the sound of the hotel room's front door slamming. _Fuck_. He knew it was Heero, but still it made him jump uneasily. Turning off the water, Duo rung his long hair somewhat dry and stepped from the tub, grabbing a thin, white towel from the rack, drying his skin and wrapping it rather tightly around his waist, just low enough to allow his sharp hipbones to stick out over-top.

Duo opened the bathroom door and walked into the room, trying his best to act as nonchalant as possible. But shit, that was getting to be pretty much impossible now that he and Heero were apparently sharing the same bed, having not-so-casual sex, and being disgustingly open with each other. Needless to say, Duo was on edge about more things than just some fucking nightmares.

Heero sat at the small table residing in the corner of the room, sipping coffee from a to-go cup from some generic coffee house. There was an identical cup sitting on the table next to a paper bag Duo's grumbling stomach hoped contained breakfast.

"How did you sleep?" Heero's question was so knowingly ignorant that Duo had half a mind to laugh at it. But he nodded his head a couple of times, unconvincingly and muttered, "Fine."

Duo bent to unzip his duffle bag in order to find a suitable pair of clothes for the day ahead. He was about to retreat back into the bathroom to change, but Heero's low voice drew him back to the man sitting in the corner, watching him with cautious eyes. "You know, you can change out here."

Duo scoffed, realizing that his behavior was uncharacteristically modest and odd. Normally he wouldn't have thought twice about dropping the towel in front of Heero. But that damn nightmare was still so fresh in his mind that he had almost forgotten their current situation. Shit, they'd seen each other quite naked last night.

With an obviously forced roll of his eyes for the other man's benefit, Duo flung the damp towel onto the bed and dressed, rather more quickly than normal, until he was clad in dark, slim jeans that hugged all the right curves, and a casual, black t-shirt.

His chosen attire was quite the opposite of Heero's crisp, grey slacks, and tight fitting navy blue baseball shirt. Duo's mind thought amusedly of the spandex the man had worn when they were teenagers and wasn't sure if he was happy or disappointed that that particular style choice had obviously gone out the window in his adult years.

Duo raked fingers through his damp hair, expertly braiding it as he stared at Heero expectantly. He wanted the other man to say something, acknowledge their previous actions the night before, tell him it wasn't _just_ sex. Heero stayed silent.

"What's on the agenda today?" Duo asked, finishing off his braid with a dark rubber band, realizing that making conversation directed at their mission might finally get Heero talking to him. Hell, all he needed at this point was some familiarity, some sort of common ground. If their mission gave him that, everything else might fall into place eventually.

Heero's fingers rested lightly atop the papers sitting on the table beside him. "Quatre gave us Michael Richardson for a reason. He doesn't currently have a permanently listed place of residence." He stared at the smirk forming at Duo's lips knowingly. "And considering he once worked with the Zero System I too have some commonalities with the man."

Duo snorted. "So Quat expects me to be able to find him and you to be able to reason with him?"

Heero shrugged. "It says that he works for a security agency. IT specialist."

"Sounds like a stand up guy. Maybe I have less in common with him than you think."

A dark look flashed across Heero's face at Duo's statement, but he tried his best to focus on the mission and not at the man's admittance of apparently not being a 'stand up guy' himself. He shook his head. "Richardson has been arrested on suspicion of hacking and security breaches several times, but has never once been convicted."

Duo's smirk turned to a frown. Hell, maybe this guy really was a lot like him after all. He walked over to grab the now cooling cup of black coffee and lifted the papers up off the table to have a look for himself. There was a grainy picture of Richardson, obviously taken from his work's data base, maybe an ID photo of some sort. He was in his early thirties, with sandy blond hair, a square jaw, and wiry shoulders; a build not unlike Duo's own thin, but muscular frame.

"Hmm," he sighed, still staring at the papers and taking a sip of coffee. "I guess we'll start at his place of work then. Star Security Systems." He found that to be quite a bullshit name, but kept the wry thought to himself.

They ate a quick breakfast that consisted of bagels and some prepackaged fruit. Both men were silent as they ate, and Duo wondered if Heero was thinking about the night before just as much as he was. Shit, he probably should be focussing on the mission, but he couldn't stop picturing the other man's naked body in his memory. Dammit, he needed to get ahold of himself.

Heero drained the rest of his coffee and stood, rummaging through his duffel bag to pull out a small pistol and stuffing it in the back waistband of his slacks. Duo watched him with a sly smile as he did the same with his own firearm and realized that they were in fact much more alike than people gave them credit for.

"Y'think Michael Richardson's really our guy?" Duo wondered as they exited their small hotel room, leaving the previous night behind and slamming the door shut.

Heero eyed him as they made their way to the elevator. "He has probable cause."

Duo shook his head with a grin. "That doesn't exactly answer my question."

Pursing his lips, Heero faced the elevator as it chimed its arrival to their floor. "I've been investigating these names for a while now and nothing has turned up. These last ones are the most probable," he paused as they entered the thankfully vacant elevator. "And yet I can't help feeling there's something we are overlooking."

Duo leaned against the back wall of the mirrored carriage. "It's kind of fucked that one of our leads was blown to bits." He sighed, thinking of the recent terrorist attack all too similar to the one he'd found himself in just after the war. "I hate to agree, 'Ro, but I have this shitty feeling this isn't going to be as easy as we're making it out to be."

Heero grunted his reply and agreement as the elevator shot downwards, carrying them to an unsure fate. And one thing Duo hated most was damn uncertainty.

* * *

Star Security Systems was housed in a remote building that looked as ordinary as any of the office buildings in London's 'Tech City.' Everything was modern and colored in shades of grey, white, or black. It was a lucky break that they'd managed to rent a small, black, nondescript car in order to travel as inconspicuously as possible through the city. Duo's eyes flashed in the side mirror of the passenger seat every few seconds, searching for a tail he never was able to make. But dammit if the ice in his gut didn't make him believe they were still somehow being followed. Or make that _watched_.

"Plan of action?" he muttered, giving Heero a sidelong glance as they pulled into the building's parking lot, finding a space next to some other cars. It was going on 10 A.M. now, everyone should be inside at work so they had to try their best not to seem too suspicious.

"We're just going to talk to the man," Heero said with a shrug. "It shouldn't warrant any problems."

Duo gave him a crooked smirk. "That's why we have guns tucked at our backs, eh?"

"Hn," Heero grunted in his customary way. "Precaution. They're concealed, Richardson won't even know they're a possibility unless they need to be."

They exited the car, locking it securely behind them, and walked briskly towards the security building, going in through the front door as Heero had planned. They weren't doing anything wrong after all, just talking with a certain Michael Richardson. Still, Duo felt some sort of unease in his tense muscles. Nothing was that fucking easy, especially not for ex-Gundam pilots who never seemed to have luck on their side.

The lobby was ordinary and easy to navigate and soon they were staring at a directory with names, departments, and floors listed. Heero's finger found the label for IT and Duo's gaze followed the appendage as it went across the board to stop at the floor number: 6.

They rode in the elevator, not saying a word, Duo only staring at his black booted feet, the toes of the military style shoes quite scuffed and worn. Heero's own shoes shone under the dim light above them, not a fucking mark on them. He wondered if the 'perfect solider' next to him noticed how utterly disheveled the man was and had always been. How on earth they fit together he would never be sure.

The elevator opened on the sixth floor to a receptionist desk that reminded him of the desk he and Wufei had visited during their time at Winner Corp. He hoped that this receptionist would be a bit more helpful.

Both of their eyes scanned the area behind reception where dozens of cubicles and desks resided, people working diligently behind them like they probably did everyday, nine to five. Duo decided he didn't envy them one damn bit.

Heero was speaking to the receptionist with a surprisingly kind and warm tone that made Duo squint; he could really pull out that Heero Yuy charm when he needed to and he wondered why he had never pulled it out for him. But his thoughts were immediately interrupted as his eyes were drawn to a tall figure that stood in a cubicle directly behind the reception area. He had sandy blond hair, slicked across his head with an inordinate amount of gel; the man's eyes connected with Duo's own, studying him oddly for a moment before breaking the gaze at the sound of something coming from Heero's mouth.

Duo's thoughts came back to reality just in time to realize the connection, but not in time to warn Heero. "...speak with Michael Richardson?"

By the time Duo's hand found Heero's bicep, Michael Richardson was already running hard and fast and slamming through the stairwell door at the far end of the IT floor.

"Shit!" Both men uttered the curse in perfect synchronization as they took off after him.

As Heero thrust open the stairwell door, they could both still make out the frantic clipping echo of the other man's shoes as he rushed down the cement stairs, probably taking them two or three at a time. So Heero and Duo met his challenge and began sprinting and leaping as fast as they could without causing themselves bodily injury in order to catch up with their lead.

Hell, they must have been stupid to think this would be anything but fucking difficult. As a matter of fact, fucking difficult was becoming the norm.

"He must be fuckin' guilty!" Duo panted out, nearly having to yell the words over the sound of their feet against the cement and the pounding of his heart in his ears. "Why else would he run?!"

Heero just shook his head, deciding to save his breath for the more pressing trek they were undergoing. Both men had already pulled their firearms out of their hiding places, though the safety's were still on in hopes that they wouldn't have to resort to actually using them.

They reached the first floor in record time, but still unable to quite catch up with Richardson. The stairwell door that led to the lobby was just clicking closed when they arrived, Heero pulling it open roughly, but a soft movement from within the shadows behind them caused Duo to turn, raising his gun and flicking the safety off all in one fluid motion.

Within seconds Heero had let the door slam back shut and had his own gun pointed at the shadowy area just under the stairs that led to the first floor. No one said a word for a long and painfully silent moment before Michael Richardson appeared in the barely lit space, his hands raised and his lips drawn in a pensive frown.

"Don't fuckin' take another step, Richardson." Duo's words were harsh and still heavy with gasps, but there was an appreciative smile on his face. "I've got an itchy trigger finger. Just ask him." He flicked his head towards Heero's stiff position next to him, a light in his indigo eyes as he remembered the first time he and the brunette man had come into contact some years ago on the docks.

Richardson stopped. "No need for violence," he said with a light British accent wrapping his statement.

"Why did you run?" Heero asked simply.

"Hell, I thought you guys were coppers."

"Cops? Us?" Duo bit out indignantly, acting more offended than necessary.

"What other kind of blokes chase a guy down a stairwell with guns pointed at him?" Richardson fit them both with a quirk of his eyebrows and a slight twitch of his lips.

Duo scoffed, blinking a few times and tilting his head in confusion. "You really worked for Oz during the war?" He couldn't believe how ignorant the ex-solider was seeming to be. Shit, maybe he really wasn't their guy.

Richardson's eyes darkened. "How in bloody hell do you know about that?"

Heero shook his head, obviously annoyed by Duo's rash words. "Look, all we want to do is talk to you, ask you a few questions."

Richardson shrugged. "Talk all you like, but you don't need guns in order to ask questions."

"Seems like we do," countered Duo, not lowering his weapon. "Seeing as how you just tried to evade some guys you thought were cops."

Lowering his hands slightly, Richardson eyed them blandly. "If you really knew that much about me, you'd know that evading the police is nothing new."

Duo laughed internally as the bitter thought of 'I know how it is' ran through his mind. Hell, maybe he could get through to the man after all, seeing as how similar they appeared to be. Quatre had put he and Heero on this lead for a reason after all.

"Look I get it, I've done my fair share of running," Duo said, finally putting the safety back on and lowering his gun, but still not putting it away. It took another hesitant moment until Heero followed his lead.

Duo wondered vaguely if his words had struck a chord within Heero as much as they'd just struck a chord in his own mind. His shoulders stiffened at the thought.

Richardson looked pleased with the lowering of their weapons, but still did not make a move other than to place his hands at his sides. "What is it that you need to know?"

Heero began before Duo could, knowing exactly the questions he planned to ask and not wanting the other man to act too abruptly. "First of all, do you know who we are?"

The British man gave them a quizzical look and the genuine confusion in his eyes answered the question for Heero even before the man spoke. "Not cops," Richardson replied with a short laugh. He shrugged before continuing. "Two guys who fancy chasing ex-Oz soldiers down at their places of work?"

There was the opportunity for him to lie, both Heero and Duo knew that. But it seemed after all this, why would he have made it so easy to catch him? Yes, he'd ran, but he was also at work, in plain sight, and wasn't carrying any form of weapon like they were. He'd hidden in the shadows in hopes of tricking them, but if he'd known who they really were he would have known better than that. He'd been clumsy and ignorant not calculating and all-knowing like their stalker appeared to be.

After another moment of contemplative silence, the man sighed and stared at them, crossing his arms impatiently. "Anything else?"

"What did you do during your time with Oz?" Heero asked. He had a file, a fairly comprehensive one, but he wanted to hear it from the man's mouth and see his physical reaction to the question.

He was rewarded as Richardson's body grew stiff and he frowned, visibly shaken and angered by the query. "I don't know how you know that I was ever employed by Oz, but you should bloody well know it wasn't for long." He scowled in their direction, but when Heero's gun raised upwards again towards the man's chest he sighed. "If you must know, I worked with the Zero System, a devilish pilot program. After I watched multiple men become injured, or worse die, at its hands I quit. Had to go underground during the war or else they'd have had my head. Oz wasn't terribly forgiving of deserters if you know what I mean."

The information was both interesting and shocking to the ex-pilots. Duo turned to fix Heero with a stiff gaze. This wasn't their man, he was an Oz solider turned rebel, his motive had just gone out the fucking window.

Heero lowered his weapon again, this time placing it back in his waistband, covering it with his shirt. Duo smirked and followed suit, his eyes never leaving Richardson. "The Zero System, huh? Sounds fuckin' terrible."

The memory of his first time encountering the impossible system assaulted his mind. How in the hell Heero had mastered such a system he would never understand. But he supposed that's what made him Mr. Perfect Solider, didn't it?

As they turned to leave, realizing there was really not much else to say to the now even more confused man, Duo heard his voice through the partially open doorway.

"So who are you guys, anyways?"

The braided man watched as Heero started across the lobby, but he couldn't resist having a bit more fun. He turned back just enough so that his voice would carry through the cracked open door to the British man still standing behind it.

"Let's just say we're the God of Death and the Perfect Solider. Count your blessings, Richardson, you're lucky to still be breathing."

* * *

When they made it back to the car Heero sat in silent contemplation while Duo placed his arms behind his head and closed his eyes. Shit, he was actually kind of tired, but all in a good days work he supposed. Though he realized that he was probably more tired from his assaulting nightmares the night before than chasing their lead down six flights of stairs.

The sound of Heero's cell phone ringing caused both of them to jump.

Heero's eyes looked to the caller ID before answering. "Quatre?"

Duo knew instantly that something was not right as Heero's eyes grew larger and the voice on the other end of the phone grew more frantic and unsure. Duo hoped it was just Quatre overreacting and blaming himself for something stupid or unavoidable. But watching Heero's expression he knew for damn sure it wasn't as simple as that.

When he finally hung up, Duo was pawing at his arm. "Heero, what is it? What did Quat say? Fuck, 'Ro, talk to me!"

But Heero wasn't listening to him, he was flinging open the door to the car, slamming it behind him, and running full out back towards Star Security Systems, Duo hot on his heels.

"What the fuck, Heero?" Duo yelled after him.

Heero turned slightly, not letting the movement slow him down as they approached the front doors. "Trowa and Quatre found Matthew Rook dead upon their arrival to L1," he bit out through clenched teeth.

Duo cursed under his breath, realizing the sudden urgency. They rocketed themselves through the front doors and sprinted across the lobby, people dodging them as they went, the woman behind the front desk, looking up at them with shocked eyes.

When they got to the stairwell, Heero grabbed the handle and flung it open, but the coppery smell of blood that assaulted their noses told them of the man's fate before they ever laid eyes on the body.

Michael Richardson lay sprawled across the stairs that led upwards to the first floor, a red bullet hole through his forehead and crimson pooling down the stairs, creating a macabre waterfall of blood. Duo thought he might actually be sick, for the first time in his life, at the sight of death.

Heero took a step forward, his jaw set so tightly that Duo could see the muscles constricting. Heero stared at the body, his eyes icy and hard and it took Duo a moment to realize what he was looking at with such intensity.

Resting atop Richardson's chest was a small piece of plain white paper, a note scrawled in capital handwriting that instantly reminded him of the addressed envelopes they had all received.

_** Nice try, you're getting warmer.**_

The note wasn't signed, but they both knew who it was from. And now there was one more fucking dead body to cross off their list.


	12. Let All My Memories Be Gone

**Disclaimer:** I don't own a thing (as sad as that realization is), except for the words I've written.

**Warnings:** Rated for adult language (Duo's got quite a surly mouth and mind), some violence, and mild adult themes.

**A/N:** Here we go, onto Chapter 12. Reviews, predictions, sentiments, follows, love it's/hate it's, what-have-you are, as always, greatly appreciated!

* * *

**Maxwell**

**Chapter 12: Let All My Memories Be Gone**

_Japanese Cigarette Case - Spoon_

Duo sat on the edge of the king size bed with his head in his hands. Could it be fucking Shinigami? He'd had contact with Richardson, though extremely minimal, and he'd died just as suddenly? But then again, he'd never even seen Matthew Rook and he'd been murdered in just the same way.

"Duo?"

He wasn't sure how long Heero had been standing before him or how many times he'd attempted to get his attention or to provide any sort of comfort, but finally the cotton from his ears seemed to lessen and he was able to actually feel the warm hand atop his shoulder now.

Duo looked up into dark blue eyes that held a glimmer of concern. Heero was kneeling before him, his hand on the man's shoulder, the contact obviously his best form of support. For a moment the braided man actually felt slightly embarrassed for forcing this clearly uncomfortable position of consoler onto him.

Fuck, Heero had seen that dead body, smelled the metallic blood, read the goddamned cryptic note just as Duo had, but yet he was still trying to comfort his companion, albeit very stiffly. But why should _he_ be so entitled to such emotional trivialities? Hell, he had lived through the war as a fucking Gundam pilot, he could handle this shit. He couldn't even begin to count all the dead bodies that had piled up around him. He hadn't even known the man for heaven's sake.

Duo brushed Heero's hand off his shoulder, but caught it seconds later not wanting the man to think he was rejecting his touch. No, he was just rejecting the idea that he needed to be consoled.

Heero stared at him, concern morphing into confusion as Duo seemed to finally come back to reality. "Are you okay?"

The words still seemed foreign and ill-fitting in Duo's mind, but he nodded anyways to at least attempt to appease the brunette still kneeling before him.

Heero sighed and Duo wondered vaguely if it was just from the distress of their current situation or if he didn't believe that his braided companion was in fact 'okay.'

"Preventer's working on getting an ID on the bullet," Heero said.

Duo laughed out bitterly. "Yeah, good fucking luck. Whoever shot him point blank wasn't stupid enough to leave a trail behind 'em."

Heero knew this to be true, but was trying, against all odds and the tightness in his gut, to be somewhat optimistic. It was a bizarre attempt for the man. "I contacted Wufei as well as Quatre. Still waiting on a response from the former."

Duo shook his head and stared at the hotel room carpet beneath his feet. He said nothing, thinking there wasn't anything beneficial for him to say at this point anyways. He watched as Heero slowly rose from his kneeling position and moved to sit beside him on the king size bed.

"Talk to me." Heero's voice was soft and low as it trickled in through his ear. Fuckin' making it difficult to refuse the request as goosebumps appeared up and down the flesh of Duo's arms.

"Nothing to say." It was simple and defiant and Duo knew it would annoy Heero the most.

"Hn." Heero's muscles tightened as the words worked just as Duo had predicted. "You can't blame yourself, Duo-"

Duo flicked his vision towards the man next to him, his eyes flashing bright violet. "I'm _not_ blaming myself."

Heero set his lips in a firm line, staring for a moment before replying. "I know what you're thinking," he began, shaking his head slowly. "But, Duo, you're not Shinigami anymore."

Duo bit out another harsh laugh. "It doesn't just _go away,_ 'Ro."

"You have to stop thinking in that way. These things happen."

"Yeah? What about you getting fucking dropped out of a helicopter?" Duo spit out, brushing off Heero's attempt to argue with a wave of his hand. "I know, I know it _wasn't_ you. But, shit, 'Ro, what if it _had_ been you? Then what?"

Heero's eyes narrowed. "We can talk about all of the 'what if's' in the world, Duo, but that doesn't mean they're going to happen."

Duo hated that Heero's words were dripping with logic and common sense. All he wanted to do was sulk and think about death and how shitty life could be and Heero couldn't just let him fucking do that, could he?

He was about to respond with another biting comeback, but almost as if he was anticipating the fight that seemed to be brewing, Heero drew closer and placed his lips atop Duo's in an almost soothing manner.

Duo wanted desperately to resist, to ignore the kiss and keep right on discussing those stupid 'what if's' and fucking Shinigami, but he couldn't. He never could resist Heero after all, and even now, after all this time it was as if nothing had changed.

His hand had moved to the back of Heero's neck to pull him in closer when the sound of a phone ringing cut through their abrupt intimacy.

"Dammit-" Heero muttered as their lips begrudgingly pulled apart. Duo wondered if maybe he had been wrong about their relationship, that maybe Heero wanted this sort of overt affection. But, hell, that scared him even more than the thought of just fucking for no plausible reason.

Duo watched as Heero rummaged through the pockets of his bomber jacket until he was successful in finding the still ringing phone, but the braided man realized quickly it was not just a cell phone, but a small compact communicator. Heero answered curtly as a figure flashed onto the screen. "Chang?"

The muscles in Duo's stomach tensed as if on cue. He hated how the feelings of uncertainty about Wufei and the all too obvious photograph still made him so uneasy. So instead of dwelling on that he listened as closely as he could to the conversation taking place without actually allowing himself to be seen by the man on the other end of the screen.

"Mizzerahi Ryland has been missing for over a week, though no one at Winner Corp seems to know much about him, oddly enough." Wufei skipped straight past any form of greeting, moving onwards, fucking business as usual.

Duo could see from his position on the bed, slightly behind Heero but not close enough to the communicator to be seen, that Wufei was walking briskly out of a building that he assumed was the offices of Winner Corp.

Heero grunted, annoyed by the news. "Have you spoken with Quatre or Trowa?"

Wufei nodded once. "Rook and Richardson are dead so I've heard." His voice was hard and deep as the words rolled off his tongue with a bitterness around them. Duo swallowed, the feelings from earlier traveling back into his tense muscles.

There was a moment where neither spoke and Duo began to feel restless and guilty that he was listening in on the conversation without revealing his presence to his friend and comrade. Obviously Wufei must have known he was there, but still they had parted with such an awkwardness still between them that he really didn't feel like speaking to the man. Hell, it wasn't really necessary anyways.

"I'm coming back to Earth-" Duo heard Wufei say, but an odd clicking sound as the man was apparently opening the driver side door to his rental car caught his attention and his indigo eyes flicked back towards the communicator just in time to see, and hear, the sickening sight of an explosion ripping through the air.

"Fuck," he jumped up next to Heero and his hands began to shake.

"Chang?!" Heero yelled into the communicator, helpless to do anything but stare at the pavement now filtering in through the screen. The device had been dropped post explosion.

Duo yelled, but the fear running through his entire body caused his ears to become once again filled with silence. He was screaming Wufei's name, Heero saying something to him in attempt to calm him, but he could hear none of it.

All he could think of was the sound of Wufei's voice before the explosion, so calm, so casual. _Damn Shinigami._

* * *

Heero, who was supposed to be dead, decided it would be best if he was not the one to contact Preventer about the sudden dropped communicator call and apparent attack on Wufei Chang.

So, after much coaxing and a couple of shots from the hotel's mini bar, Duo had calmed his emotions enough to make the dreaded call.

In the end, it didn't really make much of a difference as Preventer seemed to already be on top of it as they'd been contacted by Winner Corp on L4. According to Une, who was extremely begrudging with sharing information with Duo for some fucking infuriating reason, finally admitted to him that Wufei was, in fact, alive and on his way to Earth by shuttle at his own request.

It was several hours later that Heero and Duo found themselves waiting in a sparse, hospital waiting room, both consumed with their own thoughts. Duo was wrapped up in memories he desperately wanted to forget. Memories that involved himself and Wufei and then just as suddenly there was Heero attacking his subconscious.

He thought if he kept his mind on other things, like reading through the waiting room's stack of outdated and uninteresting periodicals he might be able to rid himself of the graphic images replaying in his head. It wasn't fucking working.

Stress seemed to be eating away at both men, Heero having been completely silent since their arrival, and by the time a nurse came out to inform them that Preventer had finally given them clearance to visit their comrade, they didn't realize how long they'd been sitting there waiting.

At this point, Heero didn't even seem to care if someone from Preventer found him to be alive. After all, he was quite in tact and their case seemed to be edging on that of someone else's attempted murder anyhow. It didn't make much fucking difference if the initial reason for investigation was gone, there were many more new reasons to attend to now.

The nurse guided them towards Wufei's hospital room, but upon reaching it they noticed another figure through the tempered glass window outside the small, white room.

Sally Po was sitting on the edge of his bed, staring at a seemingly coherent Wufei with some sort of emotion that Duo couldn't quite read. Suddenly his stomach contracted uncomfortably. Though she had been a doctor during the war and was a member of the Preventers now, she appeared to be here strictly on a casual basis. She wore civilian clothing and her lips were painted her characteristic glossy red.

"Sally's his emergency contact."

Heero's words broke through Duo's thick thoughts and he contemplated asking how he knew such information, but realized that didn't really matter at the moment. Fuck, it was Heero after all, he seemed to always know every last detail about people.

Suddenly, staring at the scene before him, Duo began to wonder just how well he knew the Chinese man lying in the hospital bed behind that glass window. They'd been 'together,' in no uncertain terms, more times than one, but yet the word 'together' truly did the worst job at explaining their odd relationship. Certainly they had not been together in a romantic sense, so then why did Wufei seem so bothered by Duo and Heero's obvious attraction?

But, shit, here was Sally, someone Duo had always assumed was interested, but he'd never been sure about his companion's personal orientations. Maybe all this time he'd been wrong about him, he had been married after all...

In that moment, Sally's vision flicked to the window and the two sets of eyes watching them from the outside. It was almost as if she could hear Duo's internal monologue as she gave him a long stare, reading him as she had always tried to do during the war.

She stood and then Heero and Duo began to realize how bizarre it must have been for her to see them there, staring at the 'couple' through the window as if they were on display. She flicked her hand towards them in an inviting manner, but Duo hesitated, unsure of how to proceed.

Heero, on the other hand, grabbed at his elbow as if knowing that Duo might attempt to run away, and dragged him towards the door and into the hospital room. Duo felt slightly sick and he couldn't tell if it was from the sterile smell of his new surroundings or the uncomfortableness he felt as the four were now trapped together in such as small space.

"Sally." Heero nodded towards her in greeting.

She set both of them with a soft smile. "I'm glad you're here. Wufei would probably appreciate someone different to speak with. He's grown tired of my company."

Wufei, who in Duo's mind did not appear to have been 'blown up' like they'd assumed he was, gave the sandy-blonde woman a pointed look. "I can speak for myself, woman."

She laughed quietly and then patted Duo on the shoulder as she turned to leave. He hoped she couldn't feel how he tensed under her touch. "Take care of him, huh?"

Heero nodded and Duo kept his gaze down towards the white tiles beneath his feet. Why he felt so uncomfortable he wasn't quite sure, but as soon as Sally left the room, he let out the breath he had subconsciously been holding.

Wufei crossed his arms and stared at them, silence enveloping the three men save for the beeping of the monitors he was still hooked up to. Duo brought his eyes up to stare at the IV stuck into the Chinese man's hand, a thick bandage wrapped around his upper right arm, and a small tan colored bandage stuck to his forehead, apparently hiding one of his few injuries.

"You're looking..._alive_," Duo ventured, trying hard to swallow his feelings and act as normal as possible. Wufei grunted and shook his head, trying unsuccessfully to hide a smile.

Heero rolled his eyes, but did not say anything as he seemed to agree with the braided man's sentiment. Hell, it was a true statement after all.

Wufei shrugged. "Preventer training helped. I was able to avoid anything worse than this by being quick on my feet. It's a good thing I opted for insurance on the car though. Of course, it's all on the Preventer tab anyways."

Duo smirked at this and decided to keep up the obvious lightness of their conversation. "You know, technically I'm working for Preventer now. Shouldn't I be getting compensated in some way?"

Duo noticed that Heero's eyes grew dark at this information and he realized he'd never had that conversation with the man. Wufei just let out a bitter laugh. "Yeah, well when you almost get blown up we can start talking benefits."

Trying to make light of the situation in hopes of cheering their comrade up, Duo kept up the banter. "Takes a terrorist attack for me to get some real cash, eh? Well, if I look as good as you do afterwards, that might not be such a bad deal."

There was a hint of a smile in Wufei's eyes at this and Duo wondered if he'd missed their sharp conversations as much as he did. Maybe their heated conversation earlier was becoming just a distant altercation. But the sound of a throat clearing next to him brought Duo back to reality. Heero gave him a pointed look. "No one else is going to get blown up or hurt in any capacity if I have anything to say about it."

Wufei gave a grim nod that made Duo's brows furrow. "Heero's right. We might have to relieve ourselves of this case. It's become too extreme and too personal."

"Too extreme?" Duo asked with an incredulous look at both the men staring all too fucking seriously at him. "We used to pilot fucking mobile suits of death and this is 'too extreme?'"

Heero placed a firm hand on his shoulder and squeezed once. It was meant as a reassuring gesture, but at the time it came off as irritated. Which Heero _was_ irritated, but more with the situation itself, not Duo.

Wufei's teeth clenched. "I don't want to give it up, but I almost died. You can see why that would make me change my philosophy a bit, can't you, Maxwell?"

Duo shrugged. Shit, he understood. It was obvious they were all being targeted and he didn't want to endanger their lives anymore than they already had been. But they were in so deep now, and it was going to be fucking hard to just let it all go and let Preventer handle it.

Heero turned to Wufei with a thoughtful expression. "Do you think Ryland is dead?"

Wufei shook his head grimly. "Actually, based on what I was able to glean from the situation, he may have been more of the target of attack than myself. If he'd been with me at the car most likely he would not have survived. Preventer informed me that the bomb was placed on the passenger side."

The air became thick between the three men as this information settled in. The sound of footsteps behind them, startled both Heero and Duo. Wufei glared past them as they turned around, Heero's hand impulsively going to the back of his slacks, searching for the handgun that was no longer there.

First through the small room's doorway was Sean Davis, looking much more tired than he had the day Duo and Quatre had 'greeted' him. Though his characteristic silver splint across his nose was still there, it seemed sightly less swollen now. Duo would have loved to fucking punch him again, splint or not, but he resisted the urge as Heero's hand came back to rest securely on his shoulder again.

What surprised all three men was who walked in the door next, following the Preventer rookie with a frown pulling at her full lips.

Une hadn't changed much over the last couple of years, her brown hair straight and flowing just past her shoulders, her eyes dark and sharp as ever. She wore the same jacket as Wufei, but her uniform was much more feminine with the addition of a knee length skirt and black, leather flats that clicked with every step against the white tiles beneath their feet.

Une stared at Heero and Duo point blank. "So which one of you broke Davis' nose?"

Duo wondered why she was just now getting around to asking, but instead of allowing it to be an easy answer, he gave her his best sly grin and said with a flick of his hand. "Does it matter?"

Une shook her head and he could tell she was trying her best to hold back a grin. It was hard, even for a seasoned Preventer, to resist his unusual charm. "No, not at this point. But it still shouldn't have happened."

Duo felt Heero's fingers tighten on his shoulder and he wondered if he was starting to feel guilty or else just didn't want to have to fucking deal with Une and her lectures on violence at the moment.

But then again, maybe it was the fact that here he was, in the living flesh. Heero Yuy: alive.

Duo hooked a thumb at him, the grin on his face not fading. "Heero's alive."

He heard Wufei sigh roughly behind them and even though he didn't turn to look, he was almost sure that the little vein in his forehead was protruding once more.

Une nodded again, giving Heero a once over. "Yes, I am fully aware of that." Her voice was so impossible to read that Duo was unsure just _how_ _long_ she had been aware of that.

Heero, finally releasing Duo's shoulder from his ever-powerful grip, stared at Une and then at Sean Davis almost as if sizing them up. "Why are you here?"

Une gazed past them towards Wufei. "One of my own has been injured. It is my duty to-"

Heero shook his head. "No. Why is _he_ here?" He pointed a stiff finger at Sean Davis, and Duo thought that maybe his own paranoia towards the man was starting to rub off.

It seemed their feelings of un-trust towards Davis might have been more true than they thought as he strutted towards Heero with a vengeful look in his eyes. Apparently a broken nose hadn't been enough to teach him a lesson.

His right hand was bunched into the size of a softball as it sailed straight towards Heero's jaw, the other man's attention still seemingly on Une waiting for an answer. But the Preventer's form was poor and his impulses obviously overtaking any common sense he might have had. The fist hit Heero's palm a foot in front of his face, a lot of weight behind it making one hell of a smack in the suddenly silent room. His eyes were still glued to Une.

Duo watched as Heero portrayed the utmost example of superhuman self-control.

All three ex-pilots were inevitably imagining the next obvious move in their minds. Every instinct and training dictated a well-placed head butt to Davis' injured nose. But Heero held back, probably due to Une's presence and the embarrassment at her subordinate's actions he saw forming on her face.

"He is just as much a part of this case as Chang is," Une answered his earlier question cooly.

Davis pulled back with a growl and Duo turned to give Wufei a pointed look. The injured man tensed as he stared past Duo towards his superior. He had a harsh look of knowing realization that made Duo's teeth clench. "Why did you put me on this case, Une?" he asked slowly.

She met his gaze with a fierce one of her own. "All the Gundam pilots are now accounted for."

Duo screwed up his brows, turning to her, his voice gruff when he spoke. "If you wanted our help, why not just fucking ask?"

Une shook her head. "Because we don't need your 'help,'" she answered. Her tone was calm and even and made Duo's teeth clench even fucking harder. "We brought you here as bait."


	13. Drop A Heart, Break A Name

**Disclaimer:** I don't own a thing (as sad as that realization is), except for the words I've written.

**Warnings:** Rated for adult language (Duo's got quite a surly mouth and mind), some violence, and mild adult themes.

**A/N:** Thank you for your reviews! As you'll notice the story is definitely deviating, at this point, from my inspiration, _Bad Luck and Trouble_. It will be going in and out with that storyline, just FYI for those Lee Child fans. As usual, your input and comments are always appreciated.

* * *

**Maxwell**

**Chapter 13: Drop A Heart, Break A Name**

_Sugar We're Going Down - Fall Out Boy_

Moments after her confession, Une had been pulled away to answer an 'important phone call.' Duo wanted to follow her and maybe get in a couple of good curses in her direction at the idea that anything else was more 'important' than the fact that she had all but admitted to using the Gundam pilots as some sort of twisted fucking 'bait' in her latest Preventer investigation of God knows what. But he didn't. And he had a sickening feeling it had to do with the surprisingly calming hand of Heero that still clung to his shoulder.

Sean Davis, unlike his superior officer, stayed in the small hospital room, appraising the three men with an arrogance that made their skin crawl. He'd clearly gotten his aggression out with the impulsive and poorly thought out attack on Heero's upturned palm and was moving on past the idea of vengeance. But his new attitude was even less appealing than a discomposed one. So, since he wasn't going to be allowed to go after Une, Duo decided to channel his anger in the rookie's direction.

"What the fuck is Preventer playing at?" Duo spit out.

"Easy Maxwell." Wufei's voice was strong and defensive, even coming from his bandaged and bed ridden form. Duo looked at him out of the corner of his indigo eyes and wondered vaguely again who's side the man was truly on.

But Sean Davis did not seem to take offense to the braided man's harsh words. Instead he took a seat in a chair next to Wufei's hospital bed and put his elbows on his knees, his eyes never leaving Duo's own.

"Let's get a few things straight," he began. "This is Preventer you're dealing with. We're not idiots, as you should know..." His eyes drifted to Wufei only to be met with a stone-faced glare of unsureness. "We're smart and proactive and usually one or two steps ahead of everyone else. That includes ex-Gundam pilots like yourselves."

Heero and Duo's vision flicked to Wufei to see if he was going to interject, argue, say anything to the man, but he kept his lips in a firm line, simply listening.

Davis smiled half-heartedly and continued his one-sided conversation. "Within forty-eight hours of finding a dead body outside of the Sanc Kingdom we'd briefed Chang, found Maxwell, and had a pretty good idea that Heero Yuy was, in fact, very much alive," he explained. "Which begs the question: just how elite are the Gundam pilots? One, a Preventer who doesn't seem to be well informed of his own organization's investigations. A once 'perfect solider' now a lap-dog for Relena Darlain's security staff. Another running a corporation that is developing and researching new projects right under his ignorant nose. A man hiding behind a mask with a traveling circus. The last, running from motel to motel looking for an easy way out of life."

Sean Davis' words hit the men like a ton of bricks that none of them were expecting or prepared for. Duo felt as though he should be angry, should have some scathing wise-crack lined up for the man, but all he could do was stand there, slack jawed like his other two companions.

Davis' eyes glimmered with the knowledge that his words had had the acute impact he was looking for. "So low and behold, here we are, five ex-pilots together again. And now, as my commanding officer has so blatantly explained, you know your position in this investigation."

Wufei was the first to finally speak, his tone even. "We are not pawns, Davis."

The other Preventer was quick on the response, like he'd predicted Wufei's move before he'd even opened his mouth. "You didn't seem to have a problem with the idea of 'pawns' when we requested _your_ help. You were the one that originated the idea of finding Maxwell. We weren't the one who suggested his usefulness and knowledge regarding Mr. Yuy." He smiled once again, still fucking insincere. "Thank you, by the way, for making my job that much easier."

Duo growled, his fists clenching. "He wasn't _using_ me. I agreed to help with the investigation because I fucking thought Heero was dead."

Shrugging, Davis replied, "It doesn't really matter to me how you think we came to this point. We are here and that's what's important."

Heero removed his hand from Duo's shoulder and the braided man tensed for a moment, wondering if his companion had finally snapped under the frustrating proceedings. But his words were soft and imploring. "Preventer's theory is that someone is hunting the five of us down?"

"I don't know what our theory is, per se. But that's certainly what the evidence is pointing to. But really, flushing the five of you out is a win-win for me. If you don't show up, maybe they've already got you, which adds pieces to the puzzle. If you do show up, then you're bait, and maybe I can use you to flush _them_ out."

The idea of just who 'they' and 'them' were hung in the air between the four. This conversation was beginning to irritate the hell out of Duo, but he bit his lip to hold back the sarcastic remarks bubbling up in his mouth.

"Preventer's been sending the photographs?" Heero asked, his tone still very neutral.

Davis shook his head. "At first we really thought you might be dead. The autopsy was pretty clean, what with your fingerprints and all. But, when we intercepted an encrypted message to the Vice Foreign Minister, our thoughts began to change. That's where you two came in." He gestured to Duo and Wufei blandly. "We didn't know about the other photographs until Chang sent some in for analysis. That's when the case went from being just the murder of someone posing as Heero Yuy, to something much bigger, involving all five of you it seems."

"And why the fuck does Preventer care so much about _us_?" Duo bit out, interrupting the irritating, long-winded answer. "You said yourself we're ignorant, hiding, looking for 'an easy way out.'" He brought his fingers up to create air quotes around the last several words.

"You think Preventer wants the five heroes of the universe to die at the hands of some common stalker?" Davis asked. Duo wasn't sure if the man was being sarcastic or serious, but either way he had the undying urge to break his nose again.

"Cut the bullshit," Wufei grit out, sitting up more as if he wanted to attempt the same thing Duo was imagining in his head.

"He's telling the truth." Une's voice filtered back into the hospital room from her position back at the now open doorway. "Though there are some holes that need to be filled in."

Duo flicked a hand in her direction. "Care to enlighten us then?"

"I don't believe your stalker is quite so common after all," she said, her words almost heavy sounding as if it were truly unwelcome news. All four men stared at her intently, waiting for her to continue. Even for Davis it seemed to be new information. "Chang managed to retrieve some interesting intel from his visit to Winner Corp on L4. Some of it was damaged in the attack, but what we can glean from the recovered information has just altered this investigation drastically."

Heero's eyes shifted to Wufei. "You didn't mention that."

Wufei visibly tensed, though wincing slightly as his muscles were still tender. "I was kind of dealing with a car bomb at the time. So I apologize if I didn't have the means to recount every detail of my trip," he spit out through clenched teeth.

Duo ignored the exchange, his eyes still glued to the woman in front of them. He laughed out harshly. "So you don't need us as bait anymore?"

Une gave him a hard look from under thick lashes. "An ex-employee of Winner Corp has managed to sustain the use of some of their facilities with inside help. The research that has been blatantly broadcast throughout the news the past couple of days is much more than a simple grant proposal for some new energy resources." She paused almost for dramatic effect and Duo thought he might combust at the forced suspense.

"The research is for DNA replication," she furrowed her brows tensely. "Possibly for human cloning."

* * *

Heero was having a very strained conversation with Quatre on the phone while Duo stared at a now stale cup of coffee resting atop the white table of the hospital's cafeteria. The news of Winner Corp's possible involvement in some sort of cloning operation was beyond anything the five pilots had been expecting.

Shit, DNA replication was something straight out of a science fiction movie. Though, Duo did realize he shouldn't be shocked by anything anymore these days. It hadn't taken long for him to be reminded that Quatre's sisters and friends had all been born of a test tube.

"...we will probably be going back to the hotel shortly to gather our belongings. I've reserved a new room still close to Sanc, but at a less conspicuous location." Duo listened to the tail end of the conversation and thought amusedly that they might finally be bunkering down in a place more suited to his post-war life.

Heero nodded a few more times and then hung up the phone. He gave Duo a soft look. "Trowa and Quatre are going to stay at a Maganac base, lay low for a couple of days. He said they had reason to believe they were being tailed."

Duo frowned. "At least we know it can't be Davis this time. But I guess that's not really good news, huh?"

Heero shook his head. "It's hard to say. We were correct in assuming that Preventer is involved, but there are apparently more parties still unaccounted for."

"Shit, I thought these names were going to make our lives easier," Duo mumbled.

Heero, for some unknown reason, placed fingers atop Duo's hand. Maybe it was to grab his attention, maybe it was to reassure him, but it was a kind touch and it almost made the braided man flinch. "Since when are our lives easy?" he asked, a near hint of faraway humor in his deep, blue eyes.

Duo smirked. "Yeah, how could I forget?"

A presence at the side of their table caused both men to look up and Heero's hand to abruptly leave Duo's. Sally Po looked down at them, her red lips forming a knowing smile, but she did not act on that knowledge presently, which allowed Duo's suddenly tense muscles to slacken.

"Wufei insists upon meeting with you two, but I insist upon him getting the rest he needs in order to recover," she explained in the neutral voice they were both accustomed to.

"Tell him we will come back tomorrow and that we'll call him if anymore progress is made," Heero answered her efficiently.

Sally nodded. "Thank you." She then turned to leave, but before she went she turned to speak over her shoulder with genuine concern in her eyes. "Take care of yourselves."

Duo gave her a mock solute and a roguish grin. "As always, Sally."

Shaking her head, she left the two men again to stare at the table top in silence. Heero was the first to speak. "She's good for him."

Every muscle in Duo's body stiffened. "What's that supposed to mean?" He hadn't meant for the words to sound so harsh and defensive, but he couldn't take them back now.

Heero gazed at him with an odd curiosity, like he was trying to translate the outburst. "I just mean Chang needs to recover and she'll make sure that he does."

With a sigh Duo slackened again. His muscles were going to be sore from all of the tensing. "You're right, 'Ro. He does need her, otherwise he'd probably already be unhooked from those machines and halfway out the front door."

Heero actually let out a soft chuckle at that and Duo considered whether it was due to the amusing image of Wufei Chang sneaking out of the hospital all bandaged up or because of Duo's sudden jumping to conclusions regarding Heero's initial statement.

Instead of waiting around to find out just what Heero finally found humor in, Duo spoke again, changing the subject. "So does this new hotel of ours have a king sized bed?"

Heero's eyes narrowed. "No, but the price and surroundings might be more to your liking."

Duo was unsure whether he should be offended by the statement or not. He decided to brush it off as one of Heero's miscalculated bouts of sarcasm. "Damn, and here I was getting used to the idea of sharing such a big bed."

Duo was trying to mask any residual concern from the day with his own well-placed sarcasm. But the response he received was nothing short of staggering.

"I didn't say we still wouldn't be sharing a bed, Duo." The words left Heero's mouth so quickly and smoothly that it took several seconds for the braided man to register just what had been said to him. And by that time Heero was halfway across the cafeteria.

* * *

When they got back to the Sanc Grand Central, trying their hardest to assess their surroundings, searching and hoping fairly mildly that they might catch a glimpse of their stalker, both men were not even remotely surprised to find yet another envelope waiting for them.

"Fuck, it's becoming a routine thing, huh?" Duo said as he watched Heero reach down to pick up the envelope left for them inside the doorway just as his had been back in that seedy hotel room in New Jersey.

He was turning away, trying not to show his concern for the newest pack of soon to be evidence, but Heero's disquieted voice pulled his vision back around to face those dark blue eyes. "It's addressed to you."

Duo snatched the envelope from Heero's hand with slightly trembling fingers. Maybe they were trembling out of fear or else it was a sudden rush of adrenaline due to how much more fucked the situation was becoming by the minute.

His eyes raked over the hastily scrawled words written in dark, black ink in all capital letters; it made sense, that sort of writing wouldn't be easily traced, but the sight of it so frequently now was making Duo's normally strong stomach horribly weak.

_** The only God in this world is the God of Death. -M.R.**_

It wasn't technically addressed to him. Hell, but it might as well have been. His name could have been written in giant red letters and it still wouldn't have made him as sick as those words did. Duo's fingers curled around the envelope in an almost angry way.

"What the hell is going on, Heero?" his voice was rough and lower than usual. Duo could feel himself being instantly bogged down by emotions. He decided not to wait for an answer to his mildly rhetorical question and ripped open the envelope and pouring a stack of three photographs out onto their previously shared bed.

The images stared up into the two sets of eyes now suddenly blinded with confusion. There was Wufei, pre-car bomb, walking into a Winner Corp building on the L4 colony. Quatre and Trowa speaking with some unknown Preventer officers, presumably regarding the death of Matthew Rook based on the sympathetic look on the petite blond's face and Trowa's competing expression of frustration. And finally Heero and Duo, walking close but not too close as to attract unnecessary attention, in the parking lot of Star Security Systems, walking towards their car in the moment that Michael Richardson was probably staring down the barrel of an unknown gun.

They were so simple and yet almost the most complicated photographs they'd received thus far.

Heero's hand found Duo's forearm and the braided man flinched at the contact. Heero furrowed his brows. "Duo-"

"No. Don't you fucking say it. This was _not_ addressed to me. It's for all of us." Duo could hear his voice pouring out of his mouth but didn't seem to have much control over it as it shook uncontrollably with every word.

Heero was clearly unconvinced. He shook his head. "Quatre and Trowa are under Maganac protection, Wufei under Preventer supervision. Even if it's not addressed to you, you need some sort of security."

Duo turned to him with fire in his indigo eyes. "Stop disengaging yourself from all this shit, Heero!" He hadn't intended to yell, but his internal monologue was getting louder and louder and fuck if he was going to let Heero act as though they weren't a 'we,' because they'd shared a fucking bed for God's sake. This was not just about him anymore, it was about _them_, all five of them including goddamn invincible, supposed-to-be-dead Heero Yuy.

Staring at him with those dark, unreadable eyes, Heero didn't speak. Duo didn't know if he was calculating the correct response in that robotic mind of his or else he really was at a loss for words at the outburst. At this point, either one was a damn possibility.

It took Duo another moment of dead silence for him to contemplate the fact that what he'd said might have had more than just one implication. Yes, he'd intended the meaning to be relevant to Heero's previous statement. They _both_ needed some sort of security if they were going to head down that path, which Duo seriously did not want to do. But then he started to realize that in an overcompensating, literal mind like Heero's his words might have dug deeper. _Stop disengaging yourself._ Had he inadvertently described their entire relationship in a matter of three words?

Sure Duo ran away, but what had Heero done to stop him? To keep him there by his side? He was disengaged and Duo knew that he was just as fucked up in his own way and that disengaging was a way to cope with the war and the killing, but shit wasn't he the one always rambling on about acting on your emotions? So why had he never acted on the emotions that seemed to be so palpable, so obvious when they were together in bed, fucking.

And maybe running was Duo's way of coping and disengaging, Heero's. But shit, if making love to one another wasn't the best coping mechanism either of them had ever discovered.

"What are we doing, 'Ro?" It was Duo's way of trying to make up for his recent impulsive words. These were less harsh, but still relevant and a question that had been playing on his tongue for a while now.

"We're checking out of this hotel."

Duo wanted to smack him for taking the question so literally, but he supposed he should have seen that coming. He folded his arms across his chest almost childlike. "Heero, seriously." He paused, realizing he might actually have to say something he had only said to a handful of people in his life. It terrified him to no end, but it was the truth and he sure as shit wasn't going to tell a lie. "I care about you."

He watched as Heero's mind seemed to mull over the question before responding. "You care about Wufei."

There was no 'too' added to the end of the statement almost as if Heero was denying what had been said in regards to him. Why couldn't the man just accept the fucking sentiment? Duo shook his head in frustration. "I care about Tro and Quatre too, but I don't see you getting all fucking jealous over that."

"I'm not jealous."

"Oh, really? You seem to be pretty damn preoccupied with the idea of me and 'Fei-"

"And this makes you angry? Me being jealous?" Heero wasn't usually one to interrupt.

Duo backpedalled, taken off guard by the interjection. He hadn't thought of it that way. "Well, I guess...maybe."

There was an actual smirk playing at Heero's lips. An actual fucking _smirk_. Duo turned red; he didn't like the fact that Heero was suddenly able to get the upper hand in a verbal argument. Shit, that was _his_ department. Heero could have fist fights and war battles, but hell if he was going to let him think he could win anymore arguments.

Turning, Duo wanted more than anything to storm off, though it would have been fairly under-dramatic what with the small size of their hotel room and the remote possibility of making it out the front door without Heero stopping him first.

But before he could even turn his entire body away in order to shut out the still smirking man, Heero had grabbed his wrist and pulled him close in order to scrutinize him with those blue eyes that Duo hated and yet loved all at the same damn time. Oh, now he was so fucked.

Those eyes bored into his own and his muscles relaxed for a moment as Heero studied him, reading his emotions. Perhaps he was still contemplating the meaning of his 'disengaging' comment or else he was just trying to understand Duo wholly and completely for once in their odd and skewed relationship. Good fucking luck.

It took only a brief swipe of fingers through chestnut bangs before Duo was pressing his lips forward, those eyes drawing him in. They kissed briefly, nothing sexual, yet almost more passionate than the kisses they'd shared after their initial discovery of the king sized bed. After a few seconds Heero pulled back, not out of compulsion, but necessity. He spoke in a whisper, his eyes still not leaving Duo's own. "We need to get out of here."

Duo nodded softly and let out a small sigh as the idea of anything more than those light kisses began to filter from his mind. "You're right." He stepped back to distance himself and attempt to bring his mind back to the situation at hand. "And dinner. Maybe we can go somewhere that suits this new hotel of ours."

Heero stared at him like he was crazy for thinking about food at a time like this, but hell even the Perfect Soldier had to eat too, right?

It only took another couple of kisses to convince Heero. Someway or another, Shinigami always got his way.


	14. A Teenage Dream's So Hard To Beat

**Disclaimer:** I don't own a thing (as sad as that realization is), except for the words I've written.

**Warnings:** Rated for adult language (Duo's got quite a surly mouth and mind), some violence, and mild adult themes.

**A/N:** Thank you for your reviews! As you'll notice the story is definitely deviating, at this point, from my inspiration, _Bad Luck and Trouble_. It will be going in and out with that storyline, just FYI for those Lee Child fans. As usual, your input and comments are always appreciated.

* * *

**Maxwell**

**Chapter 14: A Teenage Dream's So Hard To Beat**

By the time the two men checked into their new hotel, one that Duo did in fact approve of, they had discussed just what their next move was going to be, thinking of each and every possibility and probably overanalyzing everything to its fullest extent.

And even after all of that, they hadn't come up with one damn plausible thing.

"I'm telling you, we need to investigate the last M.R.," Duo said as he leaned against the wall, waiting for Heero to unlock their new room.

After a familiar beep, Heero pushed open the door, shaking his head. "We're laying low. Not investigating further."

Duo rolled his eyes. "You expect me to sit in this stuffy hotel room for days on end? Until what? Preventer gives us the all fuckin' clear?"

The door closed behind them with a click. Heero set his bag down and turned to face Duo with a quirked eyebrow. "We're here _together_, aren't we?"

_Yeah, and we could talk about the shit that's been going on between us lately, but that sure as hell won't happen._

Duo decided not to voice that particular concern in favor of keeping up his irritated rant. "I don't need you to babysit me."

The comment was offhand and probably unnecessary as it caused a soft glint of indignation at being referred to simply as a babysitter, but shit, Heero's protective act had always felt a little smothering. Duo sighed, he hadn't meant to offend the man.

But as if something had clicked inside the Japanese man's mind at the comment, Duo was suddenly experiencing that famous genetically enhanced Heero Yuy strength first hand as his fingers wrapped around Duo's bicep, squeezing hard enough to leave a mark, and drug him towards the full size bed in the center of the room. He slammed Duo down on the edge before the braided man could even think and had placed his powerful hands atop his knees as if to hold him in place.

Now this was more like them. This angry relationship that seemed to make little sense. Those teenage hormones racing and giving them the best adrenaline spike of their lives. But right now they were trying to be serious, have an adult conversation, not fuck like horny adolescents...right?

Duo put on his best scowl, but it was no match for Heero's death glare. He swallowed. "Look, 'Ro. All I meant was that I don't need anyone to protect me. I'm not gonna do anything stupid."

Heero scoffed. "Right."

Duo's brows furrowed. "Fuck you."

This comment, he quickly decided was also unnecessary, but the other man's reaction was quite different this time.

Strong lips pushed against his own, forcing his body backwards on the bed with a force that Duo hadn't felt since the war. Though they'd been sleeping together now for a few intimate days, these new movements were somehow different. And fuck if they weren't making Duo harder than ever before.

Suddenly Heero wasn't seeming so unsure or insecure. He was fucking dominating the situation and Duo was putty in his roaming hands. It was the most amazing turn of events he could have damn well hoped for.

His lips were bruising and brought Duo back to reality, the force on the verge of painful, but the passion causing his blood to boil. His hands found the hem of Heero's shirt and began to pull upwards roughly, the other man complying and allowing the fabric to be peeled from his upper body.

Heero's lips whispered along his jaw and down to Duo's neck, kissing and nibbling and causing a guttural groan to be ripped from the other man's half opened mouth. Yes, this was what he missed, this primal attentiveness, this impulsive recklessness. Heero matched Duo's earlier efforts and pulled his shirt up and over his head in one fluid motion.

They melted back into each other, the smoothness of skin on skin as Heero laid his full body weight into the man beneath him. And Duo invited him eagerly, realizing that for once it felt more natural than it had in a long fucking time. Their movements were succinct and yet perfectly in tune and it made him think about his curiosity when watching Trowa and Quatre together in the kitchen days before.

Duo's fingers fumbled with the button of Heero's pants and soon the garment was gone and then so was Duo's own and it was only a thin layer of cotton between either of them now.

He could feel Heero's hardness pressing up against his thigh, grinding into him with want and need and then he bucked upwards suddenly sending a shiver of desire through both of their bodies. And then it was all fucking over and the last scraps of clothing were being ripped off their bodies and Heero was fumbling for the small, plastic bottle he knew he would find in Duo's duffle and they were lost in the act.

And amidst everything, Duo realized that maybe he _was_ running away from how things used to be, that he was scared and running was his way of coping. But that was bullshit, because now all he wanted was to feel Heero next to him, hear his voice, feel his bruising lips, understand the words that seemed to be there and yet unspoken.

They needed each other. Needed the sensation of one another's skin against his own. It grounded them both and Duo realized now, like he should have so long ago, that he loved this man because when they were together, for once the world didn't seem so scary.

They were grounded together and together they could be real people again. It was a fucking shocking realization.

So when it was over and they were lying in bed, breathless, Duo finally turned on his side and with a rush of impulsivity that was not uncommon for him he found the words he'd been biting back pouring from his mouth, a little bitter but a lot truthful. "Heero. I like you."

Fuck, not the right word. Dammit, but it would have to do.

Heero's eyes were closed and his breathing even and for a moment Duo thought that maybe he was asleep, or at least pretending to be. His muscles began to relax as he came to the realization that his words, which he was now regretting, hadn't been heard.

But then Heero stirred and a small, nearly imperceptible smile wound it way onto his lips. "I like you too, Maxwell." He paused and the smile grew, his eyes still closed in fabricated exhaustion. "But you're still not going anywhere until we hear more information from Preventer, Duo."

Duo rolled his eyes and flopped backwards on his pillow. It wasn't even his intention to try and sweet talk his way out of the situation by professing his feelings, but shit it was a good idea now that he thought about it.

But obviously it wasn't going to work anyways. Fuckin' overprotective prick.

Alright, alright. Fuckin' overprotective _naked,_ _gorgeous_ prick.

* * *

The next morning, while Heero was taking a quick and efficient shower lacking Duo's presence (but hell if he hadn't tried), the sound of a communicator call coming from Heero's laptop assaulted the other man's still sleepy attention.

"You've reached Heero Yuy's most top secret line, he can't come to the communicator right now. Can I take a message?" Duo answered with a sing-song voice and cheeky grin. He realized quickly that if it had been anyone else on the other end he might have been in deep shit. But upon seeing Wufei's still bandaged visage and nearly amused expression he knew his greeting was at least somewhat appreciated.

Duo quirked an eyebrow. The man was still obviously hospital bed ridden. "Sup, 'Fei?"

"I can't talk for long. Sally will be back any minute now." The paranoia in the Chinese man's voice had Duo biting his tongue to suppress a laugh and witty remark. Maybe Heero was right, maybe they were good together.

Nodding, Duo responded. "I'm all ears."

Wufei sighed and spoke softly as if he was afraid of a nurse or someone overhearing. "This is classified information that even I'm not supposed to know. Une's taken me off the damn case, but that sure as hell isn't going to stop me-_us_-from investigating." Duo was impressed by the bitterness in the man's words towards his Preventer boss and the sudden turnaround from their earlier conversation. "Mizzerahi Ryland has been linked to a rental car in Sanc. For God knows what reason. I'm sending you his last known coordinates. I can't do much from this damn hospital, so I guess you and Yuy will have to take on the dirty work for the time being."

Duo smirked, swiping at the shaved side of his head. "Gee thanks, 'Fei. I see you're getting over your near death experience quite nicely. Are we to assume Ryland has information regarding the real M.R.?"

Wufei shrugged, ignoring the man's offhand comment easily. "At this point it could be anything. He could be the damn stalker for all we know, though I still don't believe I was the key target in the attack on L4. Just look into it. Winner and Barton informed me that they will be on their way back to Earth shortly."

"Maganac's finally letting them out of their overprotective sights?" Duo joked. He thought of how enraged the Arabic men had been when Quatre had run away during the war and wondered just where all their insane loyalty towards the blond originated.

Wufei merely shrugged again, his eyes shifting towards the door and probably the hallway outside his small hospital room. "Dammit. Just do what you can Maxwell. And be safe..._please_." His words were meant to be condescending, a jab at Duo's tendency towards recklessness, but somehow they came across as sincere. The man might have been more fucking confusing than Heero was.

Duo shot him a quiet grin and weak solute before the screen went blank, Wufei's last words being a hissed, "Over and out."

* * *

They were in a bad part of town according to Heero, an acceptable part of town according to Duo, but still they took precautions; his braid was tucked down the back of his shirt and both men wore hooded jackets that made them blend in with their surroundings. No one was going to question a couple of young and untrustworthy looking street rats. It was a natural fit for Duo, but he could tell Heero was still tense about the whole situation.

"Heero, don't you think if someone wanted to kill us we'd already be dead?" Duo asked sidelong as they trekked slowly towards a rental car one long block ahead of them, parked, like the driver was waiting for something. He hated to say it out loud, but shit, wasn't it the truth? Wufei had been barely scathed in his car bomb attack and they could have obviously been shot point blank in the head just as Richardson had been. But they hadn't, only the seemingly innocent had been taken by death so far. It was seriously fucked up.

Heero shook his head, but only grunted his notorious, "Hn." Apparently he was unwilling to actually provide a verbal response probably due to the fact that he agreed with Duo's question. And probably annoyed that Wufei's disposition was suddenly becoming more aligned with Duo in regards the the nature of their investigation.

The moment they reached the curb across the street they had been walking, both sets of eyes were drawn towards two hulking men as they pulled their bodies from the small rental car that was supposed to be registered to fucking Mizzerahi Ryland. He was listed as 5'9" and dark skinned, quite the opposite of either of the men now walking towards them on the sidewalk a block away.

"Doesn't look like that car belongs to Ryland anymore. Not fucking good," Duo muttered in Heero's ear.

Being ex-pilots and war-vets they were probably a bit more aware of their surroundings than normal human beings, spotting a convenience store that might afford cover if things got out of hand. But the paranoia they both immediately felt was something new. Maybe Heero had been right to try and force Duo into hiding.

The two men were large, much taller than either of their apparent targets, but as Duo had learned, size was definitely not fucking everything. The men continued their steady pace and both Heero and Duo continued to appraise them out of their peripheral vision. They were carrying, that much they could tell, but they were also clearly inexperienced, having probably watched too many crime dramas and carrying their guns in their coat pockets like movie-approved villains. _Amateurs_.

Duo had to stifle a laugh, but shit, a gun was a gun he figured. Especially when it was pointed straight at your heart.

"They here for us?" The words were a mere whisper as they left Duo's mouth, trailing into Heero's waiting ear.

Heero clenched his teeth obviously. "They're here for you."

Duo rolled his eyes, but bit back his response realizing that ever since the last envelope had been addressed directly to the God of Death, it seemed that maybe Heero's concern was more truthful than he cared to admit.

"We should take this off the street," Duo muttered, trying to formulate some sort of a plan without giving too much away to their soon to be assaulters.

Heero grunted. "Roger that." It seemed Mr. Perfect Soldier already had a plan. "In. Now."

They both entered the convenience store several steps in front of them with ease and speed, though the world had seemed to suddenly slow down around them as Heero's mechanical mind and Duo's impulsive one worked in time together. The two guys followed quickly, now only twenty yards off.

The convenience store was empty save for a young woman looking bored and underpaid behind the counter. Heero eyed her. Death glare on and powerful as fuck. "Get out of here."

"What?" She screwed up her eyes, a piercing above her eyebrow twitching with her scowl of confusion.

She didn't stay confused for long as both Heero and Duo pulled out the weapons they'd been harboring at their backs and raised them on her in the most nonthreatening way possible. But shit, she disappeared quicker than they'd expected into the back room of the place, leaving them alone, crouched behind a poorly anchored display as the two goons from outside traipsed in, irritatingly pleased smiles on their faces.

They apparently assumed they'd cornered their targets; unfortunately for them they were gravely mistaken.

The two men stopped mere feet from the ex-pilots bodies. Neither breathed, keeping their guns tucked away but easily accessed, a flick knife resting calmly in Duo's right hand just in case. But they had the element of surprise on their side.

Heero gave a count of three on his fingers, tapping Duo's crouched thigh in a strangely intimate way with each beat. One. Two. Three.

On three Heero and Duo heaved the display forward powerfully. It landed the two hulks on their backs with a painful sounding thud, their guns clattering to the floor. The guys were dumb as fuck and should have seen it coming and should have had a better handle on their weapons. They deserved what was coming to them.

Instantly Heero and Duo were moving. The American jumped atop the display, his feet splayed between flimsy shelves riding it like a surf board. The Japanese man, meanwhile, reached out to grab his partner's knife, spinning the blade in his fingers until his hand wrapped the handle and swiftly, without a second thought, severed the webbing between each man's thumb and forefinger. The injury would effectively put them out of commission in the area of holding a pistol for at least several weeks.

Upon hearing their groans of surprise and discomfort, Duo jumped once, twice, three times atop the shelving unit until he was satisfied that the bodies had been crushed enough to at least wind them, daze them, probably knock them into black oblivion.

"Check 'em out or flee the scene?" Duo asked, slightly out of breath, with a side glance towards Heero.

Heero seemed to contemplate the ultimatum for a brief second before grabbing the edge of the shelving unit. Duo hopped off in time for the other man's superhuman strength to pull the makeshift weapon off of the two men with ease. It seemed they had, in fact, been knocked into black oblivion by the multiple impacts. Duo was correct in assuming they were amateurs.

Each ex-pilot took one man and searched his pockets. No identification. Not surprising, they might have acted ignorant and brash, but they weren't _that_ stupid. Or perhaps their employer wasn't _that_ stupid.

Without speaking Heero headed towards the back exit, Duo hot on his heels. Obviously they were still being watched. No shit; but it was getting to be such a norm that Duo didn't even care that much.

They wouldn't go back to their rental car, that much was for certain. But if Ryland wasn't driving the car registered under his name, then where the hell was the man? Probably dead in a fucking ditch somewhere, but Duo was going to try and be more optimistic than that.

He followed Heero through the alleyway behind the convenience store when the sound of a cell phone ringing broke through the silence. This time it really was a cell phone. Heero brought it tentatively up to his ear, having not recognized the blocked number.

"Hello." It was more of a growl than a greeting, but all things considered it was pretty good for Heery Yuy. They'd just been fucking ambushed too, hadn't they?

Duo quirked an eyebrow as he watched Heero listen to the other end, his expression unreadable. It took him a moment to understand the confused expression on the braided man's face as a look of pleading before Heero pressed a button on his phone and the sound of Sean Davis' voice filtered through the speaker.

"...under these circumstances. I wouldn't normally be on the grounds to share information regarding a classified case..." Duo snorted openly at that. Little did the man fucking know. "But seeing as how it involved some of your own-"

"Cut to the point," Heero bit out, uncharacteristically impatient. It made Duo stare at him for a moment too long, studying. Somehow their roles had become reversed for that singular second in time.

Davis cleared his throat, clearly caught off guard by the interruption. But the sureness in his next words were what made Duo's own throat go dry.

"We received an envelope with a tip inside, more of a threat you might say towards two of your companions." He paused, as if to let the information sink in and connections to be made out of his cryptic words. "There's just been a shuttle accident, a private one traveling to Earth. Trowa Barton and Quatre Raberba Winner were the only registered passengers."


	15. Scientists They Couldn't Fix Me

**Disclaimer:** I don't own a thing (as sad as that realization is), except for the words I've written.

**Warnings:** Rated for adult language (Duo's got quite a surly mouth and mind), some violence, and mild adult themes.

**A/N:** Thank you for your constant support! As for now, updates _may_ become few and far between for the next month or so. Just bear with me. Without further ado, here's to the 15th installment of this story... enjoy.

* * *

**Maxwell**

**Chapter 15: Scientists They Couldn't Fix Me**

_The Walking Wounded - Bayside_

Heero and Duo found themselves sitting in a room most likely used for interrogation purposes in Sanc's Preventer offices. It had been an hour since they'd heard of the private shuttle accident. No one seemed to be talking about it and that might have been what bothered Duo the most. That or the fact that no damn Preventer seemed to be able to give them a straight answer regarding the accident report. Instead they'd been corralled into the interrogation room like common criminals. It was Une's way of keeping them under her thumb and out of trouble.

In actuality, at the moment, they might as well have been going through a grueling Preventer-run interrogation with the questions and negative air surrounding them in the small room. Sean Davis was on his high horse again, Heero was grinding his teeth, and Duo was just generally fucking pissed.

"What the hell were you thinking taking on the men you were tailing-against Une's orders I might add-do you _want_ to get arrested for assault? You can't just go around cutting people's hands up and leaving them unconscious in convenience stores."

Duo gave his utmost of serious faces, trying hard to ensure his words were tinged heavily with cynical innocence. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Davis gave him a cold stare. "Don't bullshit me, Maxwell!" Clearly he'd struck a chord. The man was obviously not very even tempered and that only added fuel to Duo's fire. Maybe still a bit touchy about his own bout with unconsciousness due to some certain ex-pilots. Heero's fists visibly clenched, but he chose to remain silent.

"The only bullshit around here lately is the fact that two fucking people are missing, probably dead, and Preventer doesn't have the fucking decency to even tell it to us straight!" Duo was rambling and his words were becoming heated and his tone uneven. He could feel a warmth welling behind his eyes and he willed his emotions to keep in check, at least until Davis left. He had no desire of showing any signs of weakness around the duplicitous man.

He could tell that Heero wanted to say something, interject, place a calming hand on his arm, but he didn't and Duo figured that was probably a good thing. Their relationship was none of Davis' business and it would have just solidified the weaknesses he was trying so hard to hide.

There was a long moment where no one said anything and Duo wondered if maybe his words had finally made an impact. He would have to wait on that answer as the door was opened and an unknown face appeared. Clearly the stranger was a messenger sent by someone higher up, maybe Une herself.

"There's a telephone call for Duo Maxwell. It's urgent." The messenger seemed nervous and Duo nearly felt sorry for him as the diverse emotions running through the room were probably quite palpable at the moment.

He furrowed his brows at the news, but moved to follow the young man out from the suddenly claustrophobic room, making sure that Heero was following his movements. At this point he had no desire to be split up from the man, even in Preventer's home base. It seemed that no one could be trusted these days.

They got to a desk, probably an extension of where the call originally came into, and the messenger handed him a phone. It felt heavy in Duo's hand and he felt odd holding the technology. It seemed outdated with its spiraling chord attached to a rectangular receiver with more buttons than seemed necessary. Of course Duo didn't have a phone of his own, landline or cellular, so really, what the hell did he know?

"Maxwell here."

"Duo Maxwell? What the hell is going on? Explain to me why Master Quatre has been conspicuously missing since he and his..." There was a pause of hesitance. "His _friend_, Barton, left our compound on L1." The voice was unmistakable from the moment he'd started speaking, though Duo had had very little interaction with him over the course of the years following the war.

"Calm down, Rashid." Duo almost felt stupid telling someone else to calm down when he himself couldn't seem to follow that advice.

Rashid did not seem to want to heed that suggestion either. "Duo, my job is to protect him. But how can I do that if he's off investigating some Preventer case with the lot of you instead of sitting behind his desk pushing papers like a businessman's supposed to do?"

Duo almost had to stifle a laugh at that. Even he knew how unhappy Quatre was sitting at a desk all day. Rashid must have been speaking at least a little facetiously in that regard. "Honestly, Rashid, at the moment I'm in the dark about his whereabouts as well." He didn't want to push his luck with Preventer and reveal too much, though he didn't really feel qualified seeing as how they refused to divulge a single fucking thing other than the incident of the shuttle crash.

Rashid did not immediately respond and so Duo was going to continue on, mainly just to fill the silence that tended to make him feel so uncomfortable, when a familiar voice came from behind him and the feeling of Heero's hand on the small of his back drew his attention away from the outdated phone.

Turning all he saw was a blur of blond hair before he was being surprisingly embraced by the petite arms of Quatre Winner and all he could do was feel a bout of anger well up inside of him. "Quatre, you sonofabitch!"

The outburst was halfway between fury and shock, but when Quatre smiled sheepishly up at him, Duo couldn't help but allow a small smile to grace his own features. Trowa was not far behind, in the other man's shadow as it seemed per usual. They both were quite in tact and far from dead as silently presumed earlier in both of their companion's hopeful minds.

Duo had almost forgotten that he was still holding the phone, until Rashid's bellowing voice interrupted the moment of relief. Quatre's grin grew more sheepish as he grabbed the device from his friend's hand and began to speak in rapid Arabic to the man on the other end.

Deciding to let Quatre fight his own losing battles with his overprotective bodyguard, Duo turned to Trowa with narrowed eyes. But Heero was able to get the first word in, which was probably for the better.

"Explain," was all he said, giving the taller man a very pointed look.

Duo smirked and Trowa raised a slightly obscured eyebrow. "It was Quatre's idea really."

"Always the strategist," Duo quipped with a soft frown.

Trowa shrugged. "It wasn't too challenging to leave a false trail. Whoever we're dealing with may have underestimated us this time."

Duo's frown deepened. "Or else they're toying with us again," he muttered.

Shaking his head, Heero folded his arms across his chest. "They underestimated Quatre."

"Everyone seems to these days," Trowa responded with a nod.

"If only they'd seen Quat during the war," Duo laughed out bitterly.

Upon hearing his name mentioned several times, Quatre turned with a curious look in his aquamarine eyes. He said a few parting words to Rashid and hung up, probably grateful for the excuse to do so.

"I apologize if our actions caused you any emotional distress." It was such a Quatre thing to say that Duo's frown managed to lift a bit.

He shook his head, feeling his braid shift with the movement. "I'd say we're gettin' pretty used to emotional distress."

There was a moment of hesitance before Trowa spoke. "Preventer seems a bit paranoid."

Duo rolled his eyes, not at his friend, but at the truthful root of his statement. "It seems they're using us as some kind of fucked up bait. They're monitoring us, treating us like untrustworthy kids."

Heero decided to jump in with what he felt to be more relevant. "Ryland is currently missing. Our leads are being taken out. We are clearly being targeted, but it seems less maliciously; we're all still alive." He spoke in such a robotic tone that it brought Duo back to when they'd first met, before he'd been able to break through his training and finally be able to put some feeling behind his words.

Duo opened his mouth to respond, to argue because hell, that's what he was good at, making waves and all. But Heero's cell phone chimed through the small room and they all drew silent.

Quatre leaned into Trowa and whispered something to his partner, bringing soft smiles to both of their faces. Their lips touched briefly, very briefly and Duo wanted desperately to understand how to be that openly intimate. He envied them almost as much as he envied Wufei's own ability to act as though Heero was anything but competition. But now, what with the woman who was currently hovering around him, Duo was beginning to think he might have been imagining the idea that he was being vied over.

Heero said very few words, so little so that the other three men couldn't even make out who was on the other end of the call. He closed the phone and faced them all with a neutral expression, as if the phone call had had little effect on him.

"Wufei needs someone to retrieve him from the hospital."

Duo wondered vaguely why the man kept contacting Heero and realized that maybe if he had some way_ to be_ contacted he would be the first choice. Shit, maybe he should get a phone.

Then he remembered his obvious competition. The braided man grinned, trying to hide his internal conflict. "What about Sally?"

Heero shrugged and did not provide any verbal answer. Maybe he _was_ still being vied for.

"We can all go," Quatre stated. "I've got another car, hopefully untraced for the time being." He paused as if considering something of grave importance. "We need to reevaluate our plan of action."

* * *

At Quatre's unrelenting suggestion, Duo was the one voted to assist their comrade with his discharge from the hospital. The braided man had argued first that it should be Heero, seeing as how he was Wufei's most prominent contact ever since he'd been discovered to be very much alive. When that argument was shot down, the familiar thought that if he had a communication device he would inevitably have been contacted first being the unanimous sentiment, he had argued secondly that Wufei would not _need_ anyone to assist him with his discharge.

And now, because Quatre was not one to be antagonized and bothered when he had his mind set to a task, namely re-strategizing their current situation, Duo found himself seated back in the hospital waiting room, his booted foot tapping the sterile linoleum beneath his toes nervously.

When Wufei emerged, his nerves only grew and that was probably what unsettled Duo most about his current situation. Not even the fucking murder attempts and threat of death could rival his adolescent need to resist any sort of confrontation with Wufei. At least not without Heero present.

For a moment Wufei stared at him with a quizzical expression and Duo considered that maybe he was reading into everything way too much. Wufei had Sally...right?

Duo stood and took in the man's post-hospital-bed appearance. He still had a bandage wrapping his arm, but otherwise seemed unscathed. He carried a small duffle bag on his shoulder, his civilian clothing rivaling Duo's own in color, but the other man's t-shirt was slightly less faded and his dark jeans much less worn and less distressed. It was almost like looking in a mirror to see what could be, but finding the sad truth when looking down at what actually was. But shit, Wufei was making it, Duo had already covered that.

The Chinese man broke his confused stare and took a few steps toward Duo, his hand patted the invisible space above Duo's shoulder because he sure as fuck wasn't going to actually touch him, and then proceeded toward the exit past him. "Thanks," he said quietly, almost as if he hadn't meant for the word to actually slip from his mouth.

Duo shrugged noncommittally, trying to be cool and not seem too torn up about things he was probably just making up in his head. He swallowed hard and as Wufei began walking towards a set of stairs that led down to the hospital's lobby, Duo spoke up from behind him. "Listen, 'Fei-"

Wufei's hand flew up, the palm facing forward in a commanding way. Duo stared at the back of the pale appendage as he followed the other man down the stairs, several steps behind. "Water under the bridge, Maxwell."

Duo immediately wanted to argue. Maybe it was because he still craved that interaction or else he truly was feeling guilty in regards to whatever he and Wufei had had some time ago. Whatever the fuck you want to call it.

He wanted their altercation, the words spoken that they both probably regretted, to be water under the bridge, but there was this annoying little nagging feeling that it would come back to bite them one day.

They reached the end of the stairs and started for a glass revolving door that would lead them back out towards the car that held the rest of their affiliates. "Where's Sally?" It wasn't really what he wanted to ask, but it filled the silence and he was curious about the woman's whereabouts.

Wufei turned slightly to appraise Duo out of the corner of his eye. He pushed into the revolving doorway and for a few seconds the two men were cut off from each other by the glass dividers. When they were outside, he finally answered. "I asked Une to find an assignment for her. She means well, but she can be a bit..._stifling_."

Duo smirked at the man's careful choice of words. It was obvious that he didn't hate the woman, like some might have assumed after witnessing their interactions; she was his emergency contact after all. But Wufei had always been a lone wolf, and even during their brief encounters it had never been about intimacy. For either of them.

By the time they reached Quatre's waiting car, parked several blocks from the hospital in hopes of some sort of confidentiality, the two men had finished their conversation and there was an air of almost friendliness about them once again. It was something that should have made Duo feel satisfied, but it only added more weight to the pit of nervousness in his stomach.

* * *

It was nearing dinner time, still early, but it seemed as though none of them had replenished their strength all day. What with ambushes, shuttle attacks and all that shit, adequate meals hadn't really been their first priority.

Duo took a long swig from his glass of ice water while listening to the conversation taking place in front of him with surprisingly thoughtful ears and a silent disposition.

"Whoever it is, they have studied us, our methods, our tactics, our personalities. They're always at least two steps ahead of us." Wufei spoke methodically, which gained him several nods of agreement from his fellow companions.

Trowa frowned. "Preventer?"

Wufei shook his head. "I just can't bring myself to believe that. We have got to be missing something here."

"There's still the fifth name to investigate further. So far it seems as though Menta Rolland is still alive," Quatre responded with a grim smile.

"A woman?" Wufei quirked a curious eyebrow.

Duo snorted at that, but still did not verbalize anything more. Quatre nodded, giving the braided man to his left a pointed look from the corner of his eye. "Her current residence is listed on an L2 colony."

That information got Duo's attention, his eyes narrowing. Shit, L2 was a breeding ground for innumerable vices and all things lecherous and oftentimes violent; he hadn't been there in years, but the memories were still quite fresh in his mind. It sadly wouldn't surprise him if their stalker did originate from that colony sector.

"Any news to you on the possible under the table research through Winner Corp?" Heero directed the question at Quatre.

The blond frowned. "No, but my thinking is that the CEO would be the last person to hear about anything underhanded or illegal going on inside his corporation." His words were tinged with a cynical form of sarcasm that Duo usually found only in his personalized arsenal.

This whole time Duo had stayed silent, contemplating and finally when he opened his mouth the first thing that popped into his mind came pouring out. "The last envelope was addressed to the fuckin' God of Death. Whoever our new 'friend' is doesn't seem to be the least bit intimidated by any of us, which is their first fucking mistake." He shook his head and smiled bitterly. "I still don't trust Davis, not from a Preventer standpoint, just a personal one."

There was a thoughtful bout of silence, as if his words were slowly sinking into the other men's minds. Wufei clenched the bridge of his nose between thumb and forefinger. "He _is_ the one I received the intel on Ryland's rental car location from."

Duo shot him a look as if contemplating whether or not to state the obviously warranted 'I told you so,' but he restrained himself. As damn hard as that was to do. "Yeah, those idiots didn't know what hit 'em," he muttered. "Not as smooth as their apparent boss."

"We're _assuming_ that all these incidents are one in the same," Trowa stated, his green eyes glowing with thought through shadowing bangs.

Duo furrowed his brows. The man had a point, but shit he just had a gut feeling about this one. It would have been a pretty damn big coincidence. "You know what they say when you _assume_," he said with a quirk of his lips. He knew none of them were making asses out of themselves, but himself...well he decided not to open the door to that conversation.

"Either way, we've got to keep exhausting all options," he added to no one in particular.

Heero turned his gaze towards Quatre. "Ideas?"

Quatre pursed his lips, at this point not phased by Heero's obvious faith in his strategic abilities. "A night's sleep and an early trip to L2. We've got to exhaust all options, like Duo's pointed out. Menta Rolland is our last option, not counting the currently missing Mizzerahi Ryland."

Duo rubbed his temple over-dramatically, muttering, "All these M's and R's are fuckin' with my head."

"We're not under Preventer's supervision now so we need to tread lightly," Wufei said with a grim expression, ignoring Duo's last comment swiftly.

Heero frowned. "_You're_ not under their supervision anymore as an employee on this case. That doesn't mean they're not still supervising us in other ways."

"Let them. We've been free agents before. Our allegiances are with ourselves, just like the war," Trowa said, channeling the role of a quiet cynic.

Quatre smirked darkly. "But this time around we haven't a clue who our enemy is."

They stared at one another for a moment, contemplating the gravity of the extremely true observation. They were working alone now, not a problem. However, with someone watching their every move, how alone were they really?

"I guess we all need to think a little more realistically, even me," Duo added, a soft wink in Heero's direction that he almost immediately regretted. Shit, it was a bad habit. He received nothing in response.

Wufei pointed a fork in the braided man's direction. "Especially you."

Duo suppressed the urge to stick his tongue out. How was it that this man was able to bring about his most immature impulses? It was that damn pointed sarcasm.

Before anything else could transpire their meals arrived and everyone seemed to be slightly relieved that their latest conversation was put on hold. Duo looked to Heero's face and saw that infinitely small trace of jealousy in the Prussian blue depths of his eyes. Just simple banter between himself and their Chinese counterpart seemed to stir something inside of Heero. Damn, noticing that possessiveness never seemed to get old. And yet, there was something just slightly unnerving about it.

The more he thought about it the more Duo's teeth were set on edge. Lately they had been fine, if not more than fine. But he knew things wouldn't be able to always be solved by great sex.

He decided to focus on the food before him, chewing quietly, not looking up again throughout the duration of the meal.

* * *

The small hotel suite they were now sharing had been almost stifling after the seriousness of their dinner time conversation. But the events that had transpired lately were enough to allow all five men the welcomed relief of sleep as soon as their heads collectively hit their pillows.

The faint sound of a computerized beeping was what awoke Duo from his slumber. It was coming from the laptop sitting on the coffee table in front of Wufei's rousing form. Heero was already halfway there, stretching the taught muscles in his arms, sitting cross legged on the floor and pulling the computer open with ease. It was almost odd to see him acting so casually, sitting in a lax way that Duo usually did.

Wufei spoke, saying something to Heero as he sat up on his makeshift bed; it was too soft for Duo to make out from his current position.

Quatre and Trowa were up now, untwining themselves from their sleeping embrace. For a split second Duo found himself feeling another quiet pang of jealousy; they were moving again in such succinctness. He shook his head and padded forward, joining Heero on the floor, for whatever internal reason careful not to actually make skin contact with him.

That look of possession had not seemed to drain from his expression all evening long.

Not a word was spoken and that was okay because the five seemed to have an understanding that did not require any verbiage. They sat with bated breath, almost as if they knew exactly what to expect from the early morning wake-up. Fuck, call it fatalistic intuition.

Heero opened the message, turning the laptop slightly so every one of them had some sort of view of what appeared to be a video that was popping up on the glowing screen.

There was no sound. Only dark and grainy footage of the five of them sitting around the table earlier that day, eating, probably making the implied casual conversation that a group of old friends should make. An ordinary fucking scene.

It made Duo's stomach sour, yet still no one spoke. _How does the saying go? _Duo thought wryly; A fucking pin would have been heard if he'd had one to drop.

An image replaced the film. Five pictures of them from the war, impossibly young and determined reflections of their now matured and more knowledgable selves. Corresponding with each was a photograph of men they hadn't seen since the war. The odd, lettered names of each typed below their faces, glowing on the screen with knowing looks on their aged expressions.

And then a typed message appeared on the screen.

** Five gone. But what of the sixth?**


End file.
